Key Caribbean Cruise Ports Reopen
Two key Caribbean cruise ports re-opened to calls this month. Grenada’s Melville Street port in St. George’s hosted 1,500 passengers aboard Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Summit on October 21.
Additionally, Barbados welcomed ships from MSC Cruises and Seabourn immediately prior to the October 15 opening of the destination’s cruise season.
Grenada will host 202 cruise ship calls during the 2022-2023 season, carrying an expected 377,394 passengers, representing an 11 percent increase from the country’s “benchmark” 2018-2019 season, said Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA) officials in a statement.
GTA has “facilitated training and workshop sessions focused on professional development, hospitality and cultural engagement sessions, aimed at enhancing service excellence,” said Petra Roach, GTA’s CEO.
The sessions are designed “to ensure our tourism stakeholders such as taxi operators, artisans and vendors are prepared for the season,” Roach added, “and will provide high quality, culturally sound and professional services that enhance our destination marketing.”
“The cruise sector is important for Grenada as it generates substantial economic activity,” said Randall Dolland, GTA’s chairman. “The GTA is committed to improving Grenada’s product offering and increasing the number of ships and calls to our ports.”
Barbados Activity Resumes
Barbados’ Bridgetown Harbour Cruise Pier reopened October 15; the destination’s cruise season extends through March 2023, during which the island will host more than 700,000 passengers aboard ships from more than 25 cruise lines.
“We are ecstatic to welcome cruisers back to Barbados, whether they’ve visited us before or are experiencing our destination for the very first time,” said Tia Broomes, Cruise Barbados’ senior business development officer. “Barbados offers unforgettable experiences for even the most discerning of travelers.”
The island will offer cruise ship visitors a diverse collection of events and attractions throughout the season. Barbados’ annual Food & Rum Festival will be held October 27 to 30, featuring sophisticated, high-quality gastronomy from acclaimed international and local chefs, wine experts and mixologists.
Barbados’ culture relates to United States history in a unique way that can be explored on island. Barbados has a significant lineage connection to the U.S. with descendants of all colors.
Barbados Department of Archives historians estimate that 9 to 10 million Americans can trace their lineage back to the island. Barbados also offers remote work options popularized during the pandemic.