Five of the line's ships will bring around 199,284 passengers to the Caribbean island
By
Rebecca Gibson |
St. Kitts is to handle calls from Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas in summer 2016.
The Caribbean island is scheduled to receive four calls from Oasis of the Seas and five from Allure of the Seas next summer, bringing a total of around 48,600 passengers.
“Royal Caribbean is very proud to announce that the world’s two largest and most innovative cruise ships, Oasis of the Seas and the Allure of the Seas, will call at the beautiful port of Basseterre in St. Kitts during summer 2016,” said Federico Gonzalez-Denton, associate vice president of Government Relations LAC for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas and Independence of the Seas will also make off-season calls in St. Kitts next summer. In total, the five Royal Caribbean ships will make 51 calls to St. Kitts between May and September 2016, marking a 104% increase from the 25 calls scheduled for the same period in 2015. Overall, this is expected to bring around 199,284 passengers to the island, a 140% rise from the 83,050 guests who are due to call in 2015.
“With two Oasis-class ships contributing to an increase in total summer port calls from Royal Caribbean, the line will be bringing significantly more cruise passengers to our shores next year during what is typically the off-season for cruising in the Caribbean,” said Lindsay Grant, St. Kitts’ Minister of Tourism, International Trade, Industry and Commerce. “We anticipate that this will lead to an increase in the amount of money spent in our shops, restaurants, activity providers and other businesses and thereby boost St. Kitts’ local economy.”
This year, St. Kitts will handle six calls from Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas as part of her inaugural 2014-2015 season and will welcome seven visits from the line’s latest newbuild, Anthem of the Seas, during her maiden 2015-2016 season.