More and more cruise liners are adding St. Kitts as one of their top destination stops. According to stakeholders in the tourism industry, this is good news for the island, as it signifies increasing growth in the economy that redounds to the benefit of the entire country.
At a brief plaque exchange ceremony on board the Norwegian Jade to mark the auspicious occasion, Minister of Tourism, the Honourable Lindsay Grant, said he was pleased that the Norwegian Jade made St. Kitts one of its destination stops on its itinerary.
Minister Grant stated that Norwegian Cruise Lines and St. Kitts have a mutually beneficial relationship. “We’ve really benefited from you and we applaud you for that,” he said.
The Norwegian Jade brought a significant 4,080 passengers to St. Kitts. Frontline employees in the service industry such as taxi drivers, tour operators, bartenders, primate and aloe rub vendors, benefited from this influx of visitors.
Also noteworthy is that the inaugural visit of The Norwegian Jade makes it the tenth ship in the Norwegian Cruise Liners’ fleet of 17 to visit the island. The Norwegian ships that have visited St. Kitts include the Breakaway, the Getaway, the Epic, the Spirit, the Sun, the Star, the Dawn, the Gem and the Pearl. On December 17, the Norwegian Escape will make its maiden call on St. Kitts.
St. Kitts also welcomed today, for the first time, the largest luxury liner in the world, the Symphony of the Seas.
