Saint Lucia is preparing to welcome its first international cruise ship since the sector shut down due to the global Covid-19 pandemic. Following discussions with local authorities, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line has announced the return of cruises to Saint Lucia after more than a year, with the island serving as a port of call on a mid-July itinerary. The Celebrity Millennium will make its first voyage of the season to this destination, as well as to the sister islands and home ports of St. Maarten and Barbados on its Southern Caribbean route.
The discussions with Royal Caribbean include a commitment that all passengers and crew over 18 years of age will be vaccinated and have passed Covid-19 testing before arrival, and that tourism operations will take place within a designated Green Corridor. Furthermore, all disembarking passengers will be required to comply with established protocols such as mask-wearing, physical distancing, and disinfection. The goal is to ensure both the benefit to the local economy and the safety of the local population.
To oversee the resumption of cruise tourism, a special committee has been created, which includes the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Health, the Port Health Authority, Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports, Invest Saint Lucia, Customs, Saint Lucia Immigration, Port Security, the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, and the cruise agencies – Cox and Company Limited and Foster and Ince.
“We are delighted that, with the arrival of science and technology amidst this pandemic, we can prepare for a glimmer of hope. The impact of the cruise sector has been felt worldwide, and its absence has left its mark on our island's population. We look forward to working within a strict protocol to see the successful resumption of the sector,” said Tourism Minister Dominic Fedee.
Dialogue with all key stakeholders in the sector has deepened, focusing on health and safety, which remains a top priority. Communication with suppliers and other operators will be intensified in the coming weeks. The committee will meet regularly to closely review and approve protocols for the resumption of the cruise sector, health procedures for the port, terminal, and its operations, and the logistics for conducting excursions within the established protocol.
Discussions are underway with several cruise partners to have more ships schedule their call at Port Castries in the near future.
