Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
November 02, 2007(CUOPM)
The parade of cruise ships into the Basseterre Roadstead picks up steam next week when six ships with a total capacity of 12,488 passengers are scheduled to berth at Port Zante.
The 2,600-passenger Queen Mary 2 docks on Sunday 4th November. The 420-passenger Spirit of Adventure berths on Tuesday 8th and the 2,020-passenger Empress of the Seas on Wednesday 8th.
The Westerdam arrives on Thursday 8th with 1,848 passengers and the 2,500-passenger Norwegian Dawn docks on Friday 9th.
The Emerald Princess with a passenger capacity of 3,100 passengers will dock on Saturday 10th November.
Most of the passengers are expected to disembark and go on sight-seeing tours via taxis and the St. Kitts Scenic Railway, shopping, sun and sea-bathing, hiking, horse-back riding, snorkeling, golfing, kayaking and sailing.
A total of 54,463 cruse passengers from 26 ships are expected to visit this month.
The 2007/2008 Cruise Ship Season is set to be the best ever in the history of the industry.Over 425,000 cruise ship passengers are expected be on board the cruise liners which will either berth at Port Zante or the Deep Water Port or drop anchor in the Basseterre Roadstead.
According to the 2007/2008 Cruise Ship Itinerary released by the St. Christopher Air and Sea Ports Authority (SCASPA) an estimated 426,302 cruise passengers should visit St. Kitts during the months of October 2007 to July 2008.
March is expected to be the best month with 81,013 passengers from 42 ship calls; October sees 12,866 passengers from 6 ship calls; 54,453 passengers are expected in November on board 26 ship calls; 63,943 passengers are expected on board 34 ship calls in December, January lists a total of 68,038 passengers on board 35 cruise ship calls; while 54,320 passengers are expected on board 27 ship calls in February and 33,357 passengers on board 19 ship calls in April.
Although the 2007/2008 Cruise Ship Season officially ends in April, the Carnival Destiny which is calling all-year-round will make six calls with 13,394 passengers in May; 10,568 passengers in June, 13,210 passengers from five calls in July, and 10,568 passengers in August and a similar number from four calls in September.
Including St. Kitts on their itinerary for the first time are the 2,680-passenger Carnival Miracle; the 2,388-passenger Ocean Village II; the 3,100-passenger Emerald Princess;the 3,840-passenger Explorer of the Seas; the 1,800-passenger Legend of the Seas; the 2,642-passenger Carnival Destiny; the 1,050-passenger Balmoral; the 1200-passenger Artemis and the 198-passenger Le Diamant.
Returning to Port Zante are the 1,950-passenger Sea Princess; the 3,500-passenger Crown Princess; the 2,500-passenger Norwegian Dawn; the 2,600-passenger Queen Mary; the 2,020-passenger Empress of the Seas; the 1,975-passenger Aurora; the 2,450-passenger Constellation; the 2,272-passenger Oceana; the 1100-passeger Crystal Serenity; the 1906-passenger Queen Elizabeth II; the 1,975-passenger Oriana the 2,020-passenger Crystal Harmony; the 1,848-passenger Westerdam; the 1,870-passenger Galaxy; the 2,388-passenger Arcadia.