The MSC Magnifica made her maiden call to St. Maarten on Thursday, Jan. 17.

The ship and its senior officers were welcomed by Minister of Tourism and Economic Affairs Stuart A. Johnson and Port St. Maarten representative, with an official plaque exchange ceremony.

According to local officials, the call marked the second MSC vessel to make its inaugural visit to St. Maarten within the last two weeks.

“It was a pleasure once again for me to welcome to Port St. Maarten another cruise ship that has never been here before. It is testament to the hard work of Port St. Maarten management and staff whereby our cruise partners continue to add the destination to their cruise itineraries. Without a doubt, we have to continue to do our best to provide experiences that cruise passengers find amazing and would like to come back to the island to spend more time. The Government and the port are working diligently to grow our cruise numbers for 2019-2020 and we are on the right track,” said Minister Johnson.

The ship was on its 119-day world cruise, calling at 49 different ports in 32 countries, having left from Barcelona on Jan. 8.