Barbados marks 23% growth in cruise arrivals in 2024, welcoming 649,125 passengers

Barbados marked a significant growth of 23% in cruise arrivals from January to November 2024 compared to the previous year. The island nation welcomed a total of 649,125 cruise passengers in 2024, marking a remarkable increase of more than 100,000 visitors compared to the same period in 2023.

The data was unveiled by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and International Transport, Francine Blackman during the celebration of the inaugural visit of Ilma on Monday. 

Inaugural visit of Ilma to Barbados 

The latest addition to the Ritz Carlton Luxury Yacht Collection, Ilma marked its inaugural call to the Port of Bridgetown, Barbados for the first time. The arrival of Ilma also marks the first-ever port of call for 2025, bringing hundreds of passengers to the nation. 

The vessel which made her debut in September 2024, is scheduled to make six calls to Barbados this winter season. Shedding light on the first-ever visit of Ilma to Barbados, the officials said that its arrival shed light on the growing reputation of the country in the cruise market. 

The Permanent Secretary said that its inaugural call marks an exciting development for the cruise industry of Barbados. She mentioned about the continued growth of cruise industry of Barbados and said that they are making continuous efforts with a vision to diversify and enhance its cruise tourism industry.  

Welcoming Ceremony 

Ilma, the second superyacht in the Ritz Carlton Luxury Yacht Collection was welcomed in a traditional plaque exchange ceremony. The ceremony was attended by several tourism delegates, including the Permanent Secretaries in the Ministry of Tourism and International Transport, Francine Blackman and Charley Browne as well as CEO of Barbados Port Inc. David Jean-Marie, representatives of Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc., Platinum Port Agency and members of the media.

Sailing in from San Juan Puerto Rico, Staff Captain Ante Benic expressed delight to be in Barbados. She extended gratitude to the officials of Barbados for the warm welcoming ceremony. The vessel arrived from San Juan, Puerto Rico was departed for Soufriere, Saint Lucia. 

High-end luxury yachts boost economy 

The vessel, featuring 224 suites with private terraces, has the facility to accommodate up to 448 passengers. The spacious suites, open-air lounges, all designed with a vision to connect passengers with the seascapes, they sail and the seaside harbors, they discover.

Shedding light on the arrival of luxury cruise vessels to Barbados, Blackman said that they are looking forward to welcoming more such yachts like the Ritz-Carlton Ilma to Barbados. She said that visit by such vessels plays a significant role in positioning the island as a premier destination in the southeastern Caribbean.

The CEO of Barbados Port Inc., David Jean-Marie also highlighted about the economic importance of attracting high-end luxury yachts. He added that the passengers onboard such vessels return majorly to the stay in high-end hotels, bringing significant growth to the economic conditions as well.