Nevis, West Indies. ?A Non-Tourist-Trap? Blog About Nevis.

NASPA GM – Mr. Spencer Hanley

Charlestown, Nevis
February 23, 2011

Steel pan playing, tourists shopping, storeowners smiling: that was the scene in the capital city of Charlestown last week [February. 15] for the third annual observance of Marine Awareness Day.

The event, organised by the Nevis Air and Sea Ports Authority [NASPA], coincided with the inaugural call of the Saga Pearl II as part of Nevis’ cruise ship season.

In an interview with General Manager [GM] of NASPA Mr. Spencer Hanley, he expressed excitement that NASPA’s collaborative efforts with the Nevis Tourism Authority had boosted Nevis’ “land-based” tourism.

“Last year what we did and we have done it again this time is to do some giveaways so that persons who came onboard the cruise ship have an opportunity to win a prize of say [a] five nights, four-day stay of one of the hotels on Nevis and that would encourage them to come and stay overnight,” he said.

A major highlight of this year’s Marine Awareness Day was the cooking demonstration dubbed “a taste of Nevis” and facilitated by hotel employees. This, Mr. Hanley said, gave tourists an opportunity to “really experience a little bit of Nevis rather than just what is on the cruise ship itself.”

Since the inception of Marine Awareness Day in 2009, islands across the region have been “tinkering with a very similar idea,” Mr. Hanley explained as he commended the Nevisian community for “leading the way in the region.”

“I also happen to know that the O.E.C.S. has been tinkering with a product very similar to this. Perhaps we are the pioneer for these types of things. Someone said Nevis is the first with geothermal, the first with wind energy and now seemingly the first with bridging the gap between marine-tourism and agro linkages,” he added.

In an effort to excite the economy of Nevis, NASPA’s staff, together with its board of directors launched Marine Awareness Day.

“As much as activities at the airport were down, we thought we should step it up on the marine side so we decided to bring together the partners. We have people with agro-processing, we have people from the tourism industry all around and we decided to bring them together to help to entice the visitors’ experience,” Mr. Hanley said.

Related posts:

1. Nevis Commended For Marine Tourism Awareness Efforts
2. The New St. Kitts Marine Works Ltd. Is A Success
3. VOJN Primary Hosts First Career Awareness Day
4. Joycelyn Liburd Primary Leads The Way In Reading Awareness
5. 10th Annual Nevis Fashion Show – A Huge Success

Cruise Ships at Port Zante, St. Kitts
Photo By Erasmus Williams

Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
February 21, 2011 (CUOPM)

Just over six thousand cruise passengers visited St. Kitts for the first two days of this week.

Some 4,124 passengers onboard three ships visited on Sunday and 2014 on one ship on Monday.

On Sunday, the 2,124-passenger Carnival Miracle arrived from St. Lucia with 2,215 passengers and a crew of 915 before leaving for Florida; the 1,896-passenger Celebrity Mercury docked with 1,766 passengers and 835 crew members. It arrived from St. Croix and sailed for Antigua and the 308-passenger Wind Spirit arrived from St. Maarten with 143 passengers and 95 crew and departed for Tortola.

The lone ship docking at Port Zante was the 2,038-passenger Celebrity Mercury with 2014 passengers and a crew of 919.

Most of the passengers came ashore and went sight-seeing via the Scenic Railway, taxis and tour buses; sun and sea bathing, sailing, zip-lining, snorkeling, horseback riding, hiking and shopping.

On Tuesday, the 2,850-passenger Celebrity Equinox and the 694-passenger Azamara Journeys are scheduled to dock at Port Zante.

The 2,600-passenger Grand Princess, the 3,070-passenger Emerald Princess and the 228-passenger Royal Clipper are scheduled to visit on Wednesday and the 3,050 Carnival Victory and 1,266-passenger Maasdam on Friday 470-passenger with the Delphin berthing on Saturday.

Related posts:

1. 7,000 Cruise Passengers Visit St. Kitts
2. 6,500 Cruise Passengers Visit St. Kitts – Nevis
3. St. Kitts – Nevis To Receive 20,000 Cruise Passengers
4. 20,000+ Cruise Passengers Visit St. Kitts – Nevis
5. More Cruise Ship Passengers Arrive In St. Kitts – Nevis

Queen Mary II (L) Berthed at Port Zante – St. Kitts
Photo By Erasmus Williams

Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
December 31, 2010 (CUOPM)

The parade of cruise ships to St. Kitts continued Thursday with the arrival three ships bringing nearly 15,000 passengers to visit St. Kitts this week.

Cunard’s 2,592-capacity Queen Mary 2  docked at Port Zante with 2,518 passengers and a crew of 1233. It arrived from Dominica and sails early Thursday evening for Tortola in the British Virgin Islands.

The P & O cruise line Aurora, also on its single call for the 2010/2011 cruise ship season,  arrived from St. Maarten with 1,791 passengers and a crew of 831 and sails for Antigua, while the Royal Clipper arrived from Antigua with 144 passengers and a crew of 111 before sailing to Guadeloupe.

On Wednesday the 3,114-capacity Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas visited with 3,481 passengers and a crew of 1173; the 2,038-passenger Celebrity Summitt arrived with 2,175 passengers and the Silver Spirit with 478 passengers.

The 1,896-passenger capacity Celebrity Mercury arrived 1,719 passengers and a crew of 848 and the Seabourne Sojourn with 185 passengers and 173 crew members visited on Tuesday.

The Wind Spirit anchored Monday with 141 passengers and a crew of 94, while on Sunday the Royal Caribbean’s 2,501 passenger capacity Serenade of the Seas arrived with 2,226 passengers and a crew of 898.

Most of the passengers came ashore and went sight-seeing via the Scenic Railway, taxis and tour busses; sun and sea bathing, sailing, snorkeling, horseback riding, hiking and shopping.

On Friday, the 3,050-passenger capacity Carnival Victory will dock at Port Zante on its weekly visit bringing to 11 the number of cruise ships visiting for this week.

According to the schedule issued by the St. Kitts Tourism Authority 12 ships are to visit next week and 46 during the month of January 2011.

Related posts:

1. Queen Mary and Norwegian Dawn Dock At Port Zante
2. Six Cruise Ships Scheduled To Call On St. Kitts
3. Carnival Victory and Celebrity Millennium Call On St. Kitts
4. Serenade Of The Seas Makes Call On Port Zante
5. More Cruise Ship Passengers Arrive In St. Kitts – Nevis