by Brian Major
Last updated: 3:30 PM ET, Wed April 17, 2024
The Caribbean, the cruise industrys largest
deployment region, is driving its post-pandemic resurgence. Several regional destinations
are reporting robust 2024 cruise arrivals following similarly positive results
in 2023.
The regions cruise ship surge lies behind a global
passenger increase. A total of 31.7 million travelers cruised in 2023,
according to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA)s 2024 State of the Cruise Industry report. The total
represents a seven percent increase over pre-pandemic 2019.
Of that number according to CLIA, 44.2
percent of 2023 cruise passengers traveled to the Caribbean, Bahamas and
Bermuda, far outpacing the 18.5 percent who sailed to the Mediterranean, the
next-highest global region.
In all, 12.9 million cruise passengers
traveled to the Caribbean, Bahamas and Bermuda in 2023, a 7.3 percent increase
over 2019. The Caribbean gained almost one million new cruise visitors in 2023
compared to 2019, CLIA officials stated in the report.
The cruise growth trend is evident, said
destination officials. The Bahamas will host 5.6 million cruise passengers at its
Nassau Cruise Port in 2024, said Chester Cooper, minister of tourism.
The figure will exceed the 5.4 million the
port hosted in pre-pandemic 2019, said Cooper. We are about 40 percent higher
on cruise passengers at the Nassau cruise port, he said.
In Barbados, government officials say 392 cruise calls carrying 715,527
passengers are confirmed for the 2024 winter season. The figures represent an
18 percent increase compared with the 358 calls and 608,583 passengers hosted
in 2023.
Overall, Barbados 2024 cruise passenger
arrivals are poised to exceed its 2023 numbers, with 826,338 passengers
expected to arrive at the countrys Bridgetown port this year, arriving on 338
calls. Last winter, Barbados hosted 661,635 passengers arriving on 373 calls,
said Ian Gooding-Edghill, minister of tourism.
Cura?ao Ports Authority (CPA) officials
quoted in a Cura?ao Chronicle article anticipates 300 cruise calls with an
average occupancy of 90 percent in 2024. The ships will deliver 800,000 cruise
passengers to the destination this year, a 13 percent increase over 2023
totals.
Cruising High
The dual-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda
is also among the Caribbeans 2024 cruise visitation leaders. The destination
is expected to host 800,000 cruise ship visitors in 2024 according to government
tourism officials quoted in a WICNews.com report.
On March 12, Antigua and Barbuda hosted 15,808
passengers aboard six cruise ships, a record for the dual-island destination.
The vessels included ships from Costa Cruises, Princess Cruises, Royal
Caribbean International and Aida Cruises and Sea Dream Yacht Club.
Antigua and Barbuda followed its record March
with a five-ship day on April 1, as vessels from Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Princess
Cruises, Celebrity Cruises and Emerald Cruises carrying 10,820 visitors called at
the destination, according to government tourism officials.
"We are about 40 percent higher on cruise passengers at the Nassau cruise port." - Chester Cooper, Bahamas tourism minister. (Photo courtesy of The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism)
Caribbean tourism officials attending last
weeks Seatrade Cruise Global conference in Miami Beach detailed the
cruise segments resurgence in their countries.
Edmund Bartlett, Jamaicas tourism minister, said
Royal Caribbean Group officials reaffirmed their commitment to Jamaica, during
the conference, maintaining a target of 400,000 annual visitors at Jamaicas Falmouth
cruise port.
The country hosted 389,319 cruise passengers
in 2023, a 29.7 percent increase compared with 2022.
Saying Seatrade 2024 signaled the returning
strength of the cruise sector, Bartlett held discussions with Carnival Cruise
Lines, Disney Cruise Line and Princess Cruises during the event.
The Jamaica minister also held very positive
discussions with MSC Cruises officials regarding their interest in forging a
larger strategic partnership involving investment in local infrastructure.
Regional Resurgence
Other Caribbean nations reporting recent cruise
visitation growth include the Turks and Caicos, where Experience Turks and
Caicos officials reported 98,161 cruise ship visitors in March, the years
highest total.
The Dominican Republics cruise ports hosted 52
cruise ships in April said Atahualpa Paulino, northern regional director of tourism,
in a DominicanToday.com report.
The higher 2024 Caribbean arrivals follow
similar success across 2023. The twin-island federation of St. Kitts and Nevis hosted
774,512 cruise ship visitors in 2023, a 61 percent increase over the 481,077 arrivals
in 2022.
British Virgin Islands Ports Authority (BVIPA)
officials said the territory hosted 720,392 cruise ship visitors in 2023, a 110
percent increase over the 343, 571 visitors hosted in 2022. The 2023 total
also surpasses the highest recorded arrivals of 699,105 passengers in 2016, according
to BVIPA.
Growth Gap
Significant room for growth remains for the
Caribbean cruising despite the increased arrivals in 2023 and 2024.
St. Kitts and Nevis 2023 cruise arrivals
growth still trails the 1,053,388 cruise visitors the destination hosted in
2019, according to statistics from Tourism Analytics.
Bermuda hosted 525,413 visitors on 183 cruise
ship calls in 2023, up 30.5 percent and 11.6 percent respectively from 2022, according
to the Bermuda Tourism Authoritys 2023 Visitors Arrivals Report. Yet the total
still trails the 535,561 cruise visitors Bermuda hosted in 2019.
The Cayman Islands hosted 937,000 cruise ship
visitors in 2023, according to Economics and Statistics office data quoted in a
Cayman Compass article. The figure represents a year-over-year increase of 118.1
percent but is about half of the 2019 total of 1.83 million cruise visitors.
We are seeing the huge [cruise] growth, but
if we havent yet reached the numbers before COVID, Hugo Clarinda, Cura?aos deputy
tourism director, said earlier this year.
The Caribbean nation hosted around 700,000
cruise visitors in 2023, said Clarinda. We will surpass 800,000 for sure, he
predicted. ?Cruise continues to be
important part of the mix [that] contributes to [our] economic impact.
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