The Saint Lucia Cruise Port celebrated the start of the highly anticipated 2024/2025 cruise season on Thursday, Oct. 10, in a vibrant cultural event held at Port Castries. The season was officially launched with the arrival of two vessels, Celebrity Summit and Rhapsody of the Seas, which brought 4,485 passengers and 1,756 crew members to the island.
The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority hosted a traditional ceremony to mark the occasion, providing lively steel pan entertainment for guests as they disembarked.
Ernest Hilaire, minister for tourism, investment, creative industries, culture and Information for Saint Lucia is optimistic about this season's cruise arrivals. In 2023, the port welcomed 614,980 passengers aboard 264 calls. In 2024, the port expects to receive approximately 823,132 passengers aboard 459 calls, which would surpass the current passenger record of 789,176 cruise visitors (aboard 443 calls) set in 2019.
"The start of this cruise season presents us with a wonderful opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to enhancing the guest experience, supporting our cruise line partners, and collaborating with local industry stakeholders to ensure our mutual success," said Lancelot Arnold, general manager of Saint Lucia Cruise Port. "We are looking forward to a busy and exciting cruise season with a positive outlook for our company and community.”
Editor’s Note: This article was generated by AI, based on a press release distributed by the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority. It was fact-checked and reviewed by a TravelAge West editor.
