St. Kitts’ cruise tourism industry continues to grow robustly with the island reporting an increase in cruise passenger arrivals to the island from 117,000 in the 2005/2006 cruise year to 629,000 in the 2011/2012 cruise year, an increase of more than 400% as compared to an increase of 13% throughout the Caribbean over the six-year period.
In the 2009/2010 cruise season, St. Kitts exceeded the half million passenger arrival mark for the first time in its history. St. Kitts is currently projecting cruise passenger arrivals to reach approximately 650,000 in the 2013/2014 season and to exceed 700,000 in the 2014/2015 season.
In addition to rising cruise passenger arrivals, the geographic markets from which the lines originate are expanding, with vessels now hailing from the US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Latin America.
Further, St. Kitts will be receiving six port calls from Royal Caribbean International’s Quantum of the Seas in its inaugural 2014/2015 season. It is the first of Royal Caribbean’s new Quantum class of ships and will include St. Kitts in its 11-night Eastern Caribbean and 12-night Southern Caribbean itineraries.
The Quantum of the Seas will sail roundtrip from Cape Liberty Cruise Port in Bayonne, NJ. For the first time, St. Kitts & Nevis will be receiving scheduled calls from four ships of the luxury Seabourn Cruise Line, which will make a total of 29 calls in 2013/2014.
