MV Sapphire Princess graces Dominica’s shores with its inaugural visit

The shores of Dominica were graced by the inaugural visit of the MV Sapphire Princess. The vessel carrying 2,646 passengers and a dedicated crew of 1,089 made its first call to the Nature Isle on Monday, 28^th October 2024.

The vessel and the passengers boarding the ship were warmly welcomed by the authorities of Dominica. Aboard the ship, a plaque exchange ceremony was conducted in order to honour this maiden call by MV Sapphire Princess.

This inaugural visit by the vessel marks the start of what it promises to be, a dynamic and vibrant cruise season for the island nation. As per the details, this plaque exchange ceremony was attended by several delegates.

Several delegates graced the occasion with their presence including CEO and Director of Dominica Tourism Authority, Marva Williams; CEO of Dominica Air and Seaport Authority, Benoit Bardouille; Product Promotions Manager, Odile Jno Baptiste and Marketing Officer for HHV Whitchurch, Montell Mitchel.

This welcoming ceremony event also shed light on the unwavering commitment of Dominica to strengthen industry partnerships. Along with that, it also emphasises on the dedication of the authorities to establish the reputation of the country as a premier Caribbean cruise destination.

Notably, the cruise season in Dominica was opened on October, 9^th with the arrival of the Celebrity Summit. And, since then several cruises have docked at the shores of the island nation. Also, the month of October 2024 concluded with another visit from Celebrity Summit on 31^st October, 2024.

The Celebrity Summit brought over two thousand passengers to the island nation, playing significant role in elevating the cruise tourism season of Dominica to greater heights.

Moreover, this cruise season 2024-25 is expected to be vibrant for Dominica as the authorities aim to welcome approximately 235 cruise calls, bringing around 375,000 cruise passengers to the island nation.

As per the details, 12 vessels are expected to make their inaugural calls to the shores of the country. The vessels expected to mark their first visit to Dominica include MV AIDAbella, MSC Explora II, MV Majestic Princess, MV Resilient Lady, and many others.

While shedding light on bringing large number of visitors to country, the tourism authority added that they are all set to greet their visitors with breathtaking landscapes, aiming to offer them with warm hospitality, and unforgettable experiences.

They also extended an invitation and asked the interested individual to explore the lush rainforests and pristine rivers to the vibrant culture and local flavors of the island nation. They added that Dominica has something to offer to all their visitors with a vision to make their visit memorable and comfortable.