Carnival Venezia docks at shores of St John with 4,100 passengers

Carnival Venezia graced the shores of St John with over 4,100 passengers and 1,400 crew members. The team of Antigua Cruise Port (ACP) welcomed the cruise, bringing “Fun Italian Style” cruising experience into the country.

It is to be noted that St John is the first port of call on the current 12-day Southern Caribbean roundtrip itinerary for this ship. A traditional plaque exchange ceremony took place between the cruise Captain Massimo Penisi and the Officer in Charge at ACP- Cynthia Jacobs Browne.

Noting this, she accepted the gift from the captain, on behalf of the ACP team. She expressed his delight while welcoming the Carnival Venezia as it will enhance the tourism sector of Antigua and Barbuda.

“We are delighted to have Carnival Venezia alongside today. This visit is one of several that we anticipate from Carnival Cruise Line vessels this year, which reflects the growing demand for our destination and for cruise vacations”, added Browne.

Further, the island country has experienced a spike in Cruise Arrivals since the beginning of this year, 2024. Significantly, the nation has received 13,350 passengers with the arrival of many cruises docked at the shores of St John including Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas, Celebrity Beyond and Virgin Valiant Lady, to date.

Moreover, ACP welcomed 83,389 passengers in February with 48 calls and the team is expecting to receive about 78 calls and have served 141,000 passengers. This is a significant number that will achieve a milestone for cruise tourism in Antigua.

The majority of the economy of the small island nation is dependent on its tourism sector and its growth contributed a huge part towards the economic growth of the country as a whole. The arrival of cruises opens various opportunities for the people in the Federation.

Additionally, the recently rebranded Vista-class cruise liner is expected to call on St John again in November and while reacting to this, a passenger named Collen Copland took to her Facebook handle and commented, “We absolutely loved your island, so incredibly beautiful. Thank you for having the Venezia. We can’t wait to come back.”