ANTIGUA & BARBUDA TOURISM AUTHORITY

The Caribbean Village At Seatrade Europe

Antigua and Barbuda will see a projected growth for the upcoming winter season with the overall number of cruise ship calls increasing 6% from 311 ship calls to 330 ship calls for the season 2015/2016.

The announcement comes following Antigua and Barbuda’s participation at Seatrade Europe, the largest gathering of Cruise Tourism Officials in Europe.  The Antigua and Barbuda’s three-member delegation was made up of CEO of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, Colin C. James, Nathan Dundas President of the Antigua and Barbuda Cruise Association, and Dr. Werner Giersch, Honorary Consul for Antigua and Barbuda in Germany.

CEO of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, Colin C. James said, “News of the latest inaugurals for the 2015/2016 season, will be welcomed by all local cruise stakeholders such as vendors, taxi-drivers, store owners and Tour & Excursion operator’s who depend on the cruise industry for their livelihoods.”

Following confirmation of the merger of Costa and Aida by, Kay-Uwe Maross Carnival Maritime’s Director Itinerary Planning and Port Operations, in a meeting with the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Officials, two new ships Aida Amar and the Costa Fabalosa from these major cruise lines will make their inaugural calls to Antigua for the upcoming season.

After an absence last season, TUI Cruises returns with 11 calls with a new and larger Mein Schiff 3, making its inaugural call on November 11 with 2,500 passengers.

Carnival-UK’s new vessel, Britannia will make its inaugural call on November 17 returning every two weeks with 3,600 passengers for 12 calls in total for the upcoming season.

The 2015/2016 season will also see another first for the destination with the inaugural call of Viking Cruise Lines. This is their first foray into the Caribbean and Antigua is included in the itinerary. The first of 4 calls will arrive in early 2016 with 930 passengers with the added benefit of extended hours in port with a late sailing departure from St John’s.

Seatrade Europe 2015 presented Antigua and Barbuda with a unique opportunity to meet and negotiate with valued European cruise partners.  This will yield more cruise business for the country, in direct support of the Government’s vision to transform the nation into an economic powerhouse.
James said, “Antigua and Barbuda has set its sights on making greater inroads into the European cruise business as it strategically diversifies to increase its market share from the growing European business.”

CEO of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, Colin James alongside, Kay Uwe Moross Directory Itinerary Planning and Port Operations for Carnival Maritime (centre) Nathan Dundas, President of the Antigua and Barbuda Cruise Association and Dr. Werner Giersch, Antigua and Barbuda’s Honourary Consul to Germany.

Back-to-back meetings were conducted with European Cruise Executives from 12 companies. This included larger operators such as Carnival Maritime, a new company that operates Costa and Aida cruises, as well as smaller cruise lines such as Sea Cloud and Star Clippers Cruises. 

“Presentations were made showcasing the capabilities of Antigua and Barbuda’s new International Airport, which now means that the destination can efficiently process large volumes of air arrivals. This is a key requirement for attracting the lucrative home porting cruise opportunities where we could see cruise ships start and end their itineraries in Antigua”, said The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, CEO.

James added that while, “some home porting is done with smaller ships, on a limited scale, we are now well positioned to see this part of the business really take off once we market it effectively.”

This development, along with news of the recent dredging improvements in the St John’s Harbour, and the new upgrades, was well received by the European cruise lines.

President of the Antigua and Barbuda Cruise Association, Nathan Dundas remarked, “Our main objective at Seatrade Europe was to meet specifically with the European Cruise Lines whose business to Antigua has been growing steadily. We have informed them of the latest developments on the port upgrades and future plans that will result in a total transformation of the cruise and overall port facilities.

This upcoming season sees a large number of inaugural calls from new ships visiting the destination for the first time. This is a clear endorsement of our country’s cruise industry by our partners as we continue to support their business and provide innovative experiences to their guests” added Dundas.

Antigua and Barbuda partnered with a group of 13 Caribbean destinations who combined their efforts to put on a joint “Caribbean Village” display at the event.