November 8 marked another major milestone where St. John’s Harbour welcomed two ships in port. The Celebrity Apex of Celebrity Cruises and AIDAluna of AIDA Cruises arrived to a resounding reception from Hon. Charles Fernandez, Minister of Tourism & Investment, Mrs. Dona Regis-Prosper, General Manager of Antigua Cruise Port and team members, Ms. Maria Blackman and Mr. Shamoi Richards of Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, Bryson’s Shipping representatives and the local media respectively.
The Celebrity Apex, which is part of the Celebrity Cruises fleet, is on its maiden voyage to the Caribbean with Antigua being one of its first ports of call. AIDAluna, a German-based brand and part of the Carnival Corporation & plc, has called at St. John’s Harbour numerous times but made its first call to Antigua since the restart of the cruise industry. Both vessels showcased the continuation of premium cruise vessels to the island despite the challenges of the pandemic.
“We are so happy to welcome these cruise vessels to Antigua,” Dona Regis-Prosper said. “And we are confident that the comeback will be much greater than the setback.” She sincerely expressed how much it meant to see the return of cruising and the wonderful benefits that the arrival of these vessels would bestow upon Antigua. Both Ship Captains and crew were receptive to the warm welcome displayed by the island. Sweet steel pan music greeted a combined 2,700 passengers as the cruise vessels berthed at the Heritage Quay pier.
