Castries, Saint Lucia: MV Fram of Hurtigruten Expeditions made its maiden voyage to Saint Lucia with over 200 passengers on Tuesday. A tri-coloured vessel docked at Rodney Bay displayed its large construction with the right mix of white, pink, and black.
The inaugural go to of the ship marked the graduation of a brand new chapter in cruise tourism because it opened doorways for brand spanking new collaboration between Saint Lucia and genuine cruise liners. The ship additionally made passengers discover the distinctive aesthetics of the town and improve its native choices.
MV Fram is a famend cruise ship operated by Hurtigruten Expeditions, has made its maiden voyage throughout the Caribbean and offers onboard expertise. With a capability for 300 passengers, guests from throughout the globe docked at Saint Lucia and loved the fascinating choices of its tradition and numerous environment.
The passengers and crew members have been greeted by the representatives of the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, Platinum Cruises and the Saint Lucia Hospitality and Tourism Affiliation. By means of the plaque trade ceremony, the authorities prolonged gratitude to the captain and the cruise liner for docking the ships and passengers to reinforce the tourism trade.
The welcome ceremony additionally outlined the choices of Saint Lucia, driving the vacationers to revisit the nation for his or her different event. The native retailers, eating places and different sights have been showcased at Rodney Bay who have been additionally given the superior enterprise and marketplace for their native merchandise.
The tour guides and taxi drivers took the passengers to a number of hotspots of the nation, marking the success of their pre-packed packages. By means of the arrival of the ship, the tourism authority can also be given the prospect to advertise the journey and delightful island to worldwide travellers.
The 2023/2024 cruise season of Saint Lucia commenced on October 8, 2024, with the arrival of Carnival Venezia, which is a large cruise liner throughout the globe. By means of the ship, the nation welcomed over 4,000 passengers, marking the beginning of the cruise financial system and native tourism trade.
The season was welcomed by the tourism authority, and the vessel was greeted with a fantastic entrance and ceremony, which additionally showcased the modern choices of Saint Lucia. Notably, the 2023/2024 cruise season is scheduled to run till September 2024 for Saint Lucia, aiming to welcome over 400 cruise calls and over 600,000 projected cruise passengers.
Whereas welcoming a number of inaugural cruise calls, Saint Lucia has signed for 19 maiden voyages of ships comparable to Carnival Venezia, Norwegian Sky, and Valiant Girl. Minister of Tourism- Dr Ernest Hilaire lauded cruise tourism and referred to as it a “cornerstone for the financial system of the nation.”
He stated that the cruise season 2023/2024 is anticipated to convey important financial advantages for the native communities and for the broader Saint Lucia. It can additionally mark the potential of the vacation spot which is the Caribbean’s Main Honeymoon vacation spot.
Moreover this, the cruise season additionally give you nice alternatives for the native enterprise holders and total financial development of the nation. It additionally enhances the collaborations and cooperation between the tourism trade of Saint Lucia with a number of regional and worldwide cruise liners.
As an illustration, 400 calls of the vessel would additional strengthen their present sturdy ties with these cruise liners and with the 19 first time cruise calls will provoke their partnership and relations with the brand new liners, which is a novel a part of each season.