Antigua Cruise Ports Welcomed Three Cruise Ships At St. John’s Harbour on Sunday
Another momentous day to behold with the arrival of Silver Whisper of Silversea Cruises, Sky Princess of Princess Cruises and Britannia of P&O International on Sunday 14th November 2021, earmarks yet another great day as three cruise ships berthed in the St. John’s Harbour.
The Sky Princess, a brand-new cruise vessel, made its inaugural call to Antigua, while the Silver Whisper, berthed at the Nevis Pier, made its first return to the Caribbean with Antigua being one of its ports of call as part of a special charter. Hon. Charles Fernandez, Minister of Tourism & Investment gave a warm reception to the Captains and crew to the island.
He noted the wonderful return of cruising to Antigua and Barbuda and looked forward to seeing many more return visits of the ships to the port. Mrs. Dona Regis-Prosper, General Manager of Antigua Cruise Port as well as Management Team, Executive Members of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority and the local media were also in attendance to warmly welcome the cruise vessels to the St. John’s Port.
“Sky Princess’s inaugural call to the Caribbean and making Antigua its first call of choice shows the confidence that the cruise line has in Antigua’s protocols and methods of operation,” said Rawle Reynolds, Operation Manager-Pier Services of Antigua Cruise Port.
“This has been our first 3-vessel day since the start of the pandemic, and we are pleased with the high disembarkation rate which will in turn greatly benefit Merchants at Heritage and Redcliffe Quay, vendors, taxi drivers and tour operators as well as other businesses. Sky Princess for instance will depart at 10:00 pm, which allows for evening dinning at the various restaurants in and around the port area.”
Today was originally a “day-at-sea” for the Britannia, which was scheduled to called on in Antigua on Tuesday 16th November 2021, but due to weather conditions in the region, the vessel instead requested to be in port today. “The fact that the Britannia could make this request on short notice and be so ably accommodated shows the flexibility of Antigua as a cruise destination.” Mr. Reynolds added.
The three ships in port totaled a combination of approximately 2,700 passengers with numerous groups leaving the port for shopping, dining and tour excursions.
Located İn St. John’s harbor, Antigua Cruise Port is the gateway to the city, serving 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 brand-new retail and food and beverage facilities, plus an additional 50,000 sq. ft. of commercial space to be leased to Antiguans and Barbudans.
