Antigua Cruise Port has reported technical calls by the Enchantment of the Seas and Rhapsody of the Seas on Thursday, June 10. The two Royal Caribbean vessels are on their way to dry dock and wet dock locations for general inspection and maintenance. As with other recent technical calls, no passengers were aboard the vessels, and the crew remained on board.
Dona Regis-Prosper, general manager of Antigua Cruise Port, explained the recent increase in technical calls. “Now that cruising has officially resumed in the region, we can expect to see more technical calls to our port due to our strategically significant location. Our proximity to the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico puts us near key maritime lanes that are traversed regularly by cruise lines and cargo vessels, so taking on provisions here in Antigua is a fairly straight-forward process for our cruise line partners.”
Vision of the Seas and Grandeur of the Seas will also visit Antigua Cruise Port for technical lay ups in the next few months. Each ship will remain in port for intervals of thirty days from July 1, 2021.
“Now that Royal Caribbean has reaffirmed its COVID-19 testing requirements and is about to embark on its first cruise with Adventure of the Seas departing from our sister port in Nassau on June 12, we anticipate that we will see a lot more activity from this brand gracing our shores in the future. We continue our discussions with all cruise lines and look forward to the reopening of Antigua Cruise Port in July where we anticipate a modest restart,” she added.
Antigua normally serves over 800,000 passengers annually. The port will be redeveloped under the Antigua Cruise Port Development Project through a 30-year lease agreement between the Government of Antigua & Barbuda and Global Ports Holding. The newest pier constructed at the port, which was completed in November 2020, can accommodate Oasis Class vessels, making it possible for the destination to serve as many as 1 million cruise passengers per year. The new port will also have new retail and food and beverage facilities, plus an additional 50,000 square feet of commercial space to be leased to Antiguans and Barbudans.
