As the 2013-2014 St. Kitts cruise season got underway last month, the St. Kitts Tourism Authority has projected that close to 700,000 passengers will visit the destination from 183 ship days. Last month approx. 80,000 passengers were expected to have come ashore from 28 cruise ship visits, while on one busy Thursday at the start of December, the port received four cruise ships calls, bringing a total of about 8,188 passengers to the island.

The season also sees 15 new cruise ships visiting the destination, including the Carnival Conquest, which made its inaugural call in November with 3,700 passengers.

Acting Chief Executive Officer of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority, Carolyn James, went on board the Carnival Conquest to personally welcome the Captain, and present him with a plaque to commemorate the inaugural visit.

“The inaugural call of the Carnival Conquest is a testament to the quality of the destination’s expanding infrastructure,” Carolyn James said. “St. Kitts can provide an authentic Caribbean experience that clearly appeals to cruise passengers.”  She also pointed out that St. Kitts’ survival as a cruise destination depends on the ability of the tourism industry to deliver value-added services to guests on a sustainable basis.

Cruise passengers arriving in St. Kitts have a variety of excursions and activities on offer, starting from the range of duty free shops and restaurants available at The Cruise Terminal to sight-seeing with local guides, watersports such as snorkeling, horseback riding, shopping, biking or simply soaking up the beach atmosphere at one of the many beach bars serving authentic cuisine and not to be missed rum punches.

ABOUT ST. KITTS

Located in the northern Leeward Islands of the Caribbean, it offers a diverse tourism product developed from the destination’s natural beauty, cultural heritage and rich history.  The island’s stunning variety of tourism attractions include hiking through the tropical rainforest, riding the region’s only scenic railway which connects the island’s former sugar plantations, visiting the Caribelle Batik factory, touring Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park, the only man-made UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Eastern Caribbean, ziplining, and more traditional vacation pastimes such as watersports, golf, shopping, tennis, gourmet dining, gaming at St. Kitts’ exclusive casino or simply relaxing on one of the island’s sandy beaches. Accommodations range from intimate plantation inns to larger hotels and resorts.

St. Kitts is currently served twice weekly on Saturday and Tuesday from London Gatwick by British Airways, the first scheduled carrier to provide regular airlift to the island. The aircraft  is a three class, 280 seat Boeing 777, holding 40 Club World seats, 24 World Traveller Plus and 216 World Traveller seats.

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For further information please contact:
Zarina McCulloch
Tel: +44 (0) 20 8203 5011
Email: zarina_mcculloch@yahoo.com