BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Cruise ships coming to Barbados for the 2025/2026 winter cruise season are reporting sturdy occupancy bookings, in response to Minister of Tourism and Worldwide Transport, Ian Gooding-Edghill.
Gooding-Edghill, who’s main a delegation at Seatrade Europe, in Hamburg, Germany, stated: “Each cruise line consultant that we’ve met with right here at Seatrade Europe has confirmed that final yr was an ideal season with nearly full occupancy. Trying ahead to the following winter season, we’ve been knowledgeable by cruise executives that the reserving pattern from final season is anticipated to proceed into this coming winter season, with cruise ships reporting one hundred pc occupancy. This is good news for Barbados as a vacation spot as we search to maximise the advantages from this sector.”
Based mostly on the info submitted by the cruise firms to the Barbados Port Inc. (BPI), Barbados will profit from a 22 per cent improve in cruise passengers this coming winter season, with greater than 800,000 cruise passengers anticipated subsequent winter season.
Barbados may even see greater than 400 cruise calls, exceeding the 389 cruise calls registered for the final winter season.
The tourism minister was talking on the heels of the Port of Bridgetown receiving the runner-up title within the Port of the Yr class on the Seatrade Cruise Awards. The Port was considered one of three finalists out of 160 ports that contested the awards.
Talking in regards to the opinions on the Port of Bridgetown operations, Gooding-Edghill famous that business officers indicated they’d fewer challenges with port turnaround operations. He counseled the Port’s administration crew and workers for not solely receiving an award but in addition for the constructive operational opinions.
“This is good news for the Barbados Port Inc., which may be very constructive for Barbados as a cruise vacation spot. We’ve been participating with our stakeholders to make sure we’ve one other easy cruise season, and we’re centered on incomes extra overseas change with respect to on-island spending,” Gooding-Edghill stated.
He additionally disclosed that one cruise firm had launched Barbados as an onshore marriage ceremony vacation spot. As well as, Style of Barbados, that includes two Barbadian cooks and one mixologist, can be on board the ship within the Port, showcasing Barbadian culinary delights and a variety of drinks.
