Antigua and Barbuda celebrates Homeporting Day, ports buzz with thousands of passengers 

Antigua and Barbuda celebrated the first Homeporting Day of the season on Saturday, 16^th November, 2024 with the arrival of P&O Arvia. The vessel arrived at the fifth berth, bringing more than 5000 travellers to the twin-island nation, marking a significant boost to the tourism sector of the country.

The majestic ship, which is 344m in length and also has the capacity to carry 5,200 guests plus 1,800 crew members. The vessel embarked on its 14-day sailing across the Caribbean, starting from Antigua. The other Caribbean nations, where the vessel is likely to be docked include, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Barbados, Martinique, St Kitts, Tortola, St Maarten and once again concluding at Antigua.

The Antigua Cruise Port extended best wishes to the vessel, its Captain and crew members for their smooth sailing aboard their 14-day Caribbean cruise. They also extended a warm welcome to all the passengers who boarded the vessel and thanked the management of P&O Arvia for choosing Antigua Cruise Port to start their journey.

This homeporting season of Antigua and Barbuda began not only with Arvia but also with two other magnificent ships who docked at the shores of the country on the same, bringing thousands of passengers unitedly to the nation. The other two vessels that were docked included, Viking Sea at Heritage Quay as well as Seadream II at Nevis St Peter.

All the passengers who boarded the vessels were warmly and excitedly welcomed by the tourism authority of Antigua and Barbuda. As, they all were offered with a plethora of experiences, exploring the vibrant Antiguan culture and vibes.

It is only the cruise port but also the V.C. Bird International Airport that was buzzing with passengers. As, the B787-9 Dreamliner made its first visit in Antigua, bringing in cruise passengers from UK and Europe, celebrating the first Homeporting Day of the 2024-2025 cruise season.

According to the details, around 714 passengers arrived on two charter flights from London Gatwick and Manchester in the United Kingdom on Saturday. Meanwhile, the other passengers arrived from Virgin Atlantic and British Airways on their respective scheduled flights and boarded the Arvia and Sea Dreams. Additionally, around 660 passengers departed from Antigua and Barbuda through the charter flights.

This celebration of the first Homeporting Day turned out to be a significantly beneficial for the taxi operators, helped them generate immense amount of revenue as they were busy in transporting passengers between both ports.

The Homeporting Season of Antigua and Barbuda began on Saturday, 28^th January with the arrival of Arvia. The season 2023-2024 was a huge success and now the authorities are aiming to ensure more smooth flow of transportation, cruise and airline services aiming to mark more growth in the 2024-2025 season.