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St Lucia expecting busy cruise season
Saint Lucia expects a bumper year of cruise arrivals in the coming 2014/2015 season according to tourism officials.
Port Castries will welcome up to 650,000 cruise passengers and 375 ship calls during the season the government says.
It includes the return of Disney Cruise Lines after an eight-year gap with five scheduled port calls during the season.
Several other cruise lines will also return including Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Windstar.
"Saint Lucia has become one of the best performing cruise destinations in the Caribbean and this is no accident," said Dona Regis, director of marketing and product development.
"We continue to work with our industry partners to ensure that passengers and crew receive the warmest welcome at Port Castries and continuously promote Port Castries and Saint Lucia as the ideal cruise destination."
During the first six months of 2014, the island received 364,228 cruise passengers, based on figures published by the Caribbean Tourism Organization.
That equates to a 5.4% rise compared to the same period in 2013.
Saint Lucia’s government is also hoping to boost employment in the cruise industry by funding a Cruise Sector Employment Program.
Its goal is to train 200 students in St Lucia and provide low-interest loans to pay for studies.
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