Princess Cruises Ship Makes Historic First Call at Caribbean Port

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After cruising through various Caribbean ports since its launch in 2004, the 115,875-gross-ton Sapphire Princess proudly made its inaugural visit to St. Johns, Antigua, on October 19, 2024. Aboard were up to 2,670 passengers, who were warmly greeted by local officials.

The ship made port at the historic Antigua Cruise Port during its 10-night Eastern Caribbean journey, which began at Sapphire Princess’ homeport in Port Everglades, Florida.

Upon arrival at 8 a.m., a gathering of government officials, cruise agents, and port representatives participated in a plaque exchange ceremony to celebrate the developing collaboration between Princess Cruises and Antigua.

“The arrival of the Sapphire Princess highlights the ongoing development and positive path of Antigua’s cruise tourism industry,” stated Rawle Reynolds, operations manager of pier services at the port.

“At Antigua Cruise Port, we are dedicated to providing top-notch port management services that enhance the visitor experience,” he added. “The arrival of your vessel and passengers today reaffirms our commitment to ensuring smooth operations and outstanding service.”

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Following a 10-hour visit in St. Johns, the capital of Antigua and Barbuda, Sapphire Princess continued her journey to Philipsburg, St. Maarten; St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands; and Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. She is scheduled to return to Fort Lauderdale on October 24, 2024.

Following its journeys on October 24 and November 3, 2024, the ship will return to Antigua before the Sapphire Princess makes its way to South America for the winter months.

The Sapphire Princess is set to arrive during a remarkable season for Antigua Cruise Port, which anticipates hosting over 800,000 passengers to Antigua & Barbuda by December 2024.

To draw in more vessels, the port has been focusing on enhancing its infrastructure and improving customer services. This strategy is proving effective, with Royal Caribbean contributing $100 million towards the establishment of its private Royal Beach Club at Fort James on the island.

Carnival Corporation, the parent company of Princess Cruises, has consistently shown support by bringing the 3,560-passenger Regal Princess to the dock the day after Sapphire Princess.

The port is currently featured in the itineraries for vessels from AIDA Cruises, P&O Cruises, and Holland America Line.

In addition, Oceania Cruises, TUI Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Viking Oceans, Celebrity Cruises, and Explora Journeys are also scheduled to make visits before the year concludes.

This year has been remarkable for Antigua Cruise Port. On March 25, 2024, the port witnessed its busiest day ever, welcoming six ships and a total of 15,808 passengers in just one day. (One of the ships was stationed at nearby Falmouth Harbour while the other five were docked in St. Johns.)

Moreover, on May 9, 2024, the port celebrated the milestone of welcoming over 500,000 cruise guests within a single year.

At that moment, the port recorded 42 additional ship visits compared to the same period in 2023, along with an impressive increase of 105,281 passengers.

Even the nearby island of Barbuda, part of the Lesser Antilles nation, is thriving alongside its larger counterpart, boasting a record-breaking expectation of 23 ships set to arrive in the 2024 to 2025 season.

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