The Saint Lucia Cruise Port recently celebrated the launch of its 2024-25 cruise season alongside key tourism partners at an event held at Port Castries on Thursday, October 10, 2024.

Organized in collaboration with the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, the ceremony officially marked the start of the season with the arrival of the Celebrity Summit and Rhapsody of the Seas, collectively bringing 4,485 passengers and 1,756 crew members to the island.

During the event, guests were welcomed with live steel pan music provided by Saint Lucia Cruise Port and the Tourism Authority, creating a festive atmosphere as visitors disembarked and experienced the island’s cultural heritage.

Lancelot Arnold, general manager of Saint Lucia Cruise Port, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Captain Evangelos Saitis of the Celebrity Summit and Captain Per Olov Mathias Sebom of the Rhapsody of the Seas back to Saint Lucia. The start of this cruise season presents us with a wonderful opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to enhancing the guest experience, supporting our cruise line partners, and collaborating with local industry stakeholders to ensure our mutual success. We are looking forward to a busy and exciting cruise season with a positive outlook for our company and community.”

Saint Lucia’s Minister for Tourism Dr. Ernest Hilaire shared projections indicating a record-breaking cruise season for 2024. Following the arrival of 614,980 passengers on 264 calls in 2023, the port anticipates approximately 823,132 passengers on 459 calls this year. This would surpass the previous 2019 record of 789,176 cruise visitors on 443 calls