Per Kristoffersen; Minister of Tourism, International Trade, Industry and Commerce, The Hon. Lindsay F.P. Grant; CEO of SCASPA, Don James; and Managing Director of Delisle Walwyn, Clayton Perkins.
The World’s largest cruise ship, the Oasis of the Seas, visited St. Kitts for the first time today, bringing more than 6000 passengers.
The Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas, weighs 252,282-tons and is approximately 50% larger than any other cruise ship at sea and home to an unprecedented array of amenities, including ziplining to surfing, dining discoveries to DreamWorks characters onboard.
Minister of Tourism, International Trade, Industry and Commerce, The Hon. Lindsay F.P. Grant, led a delegation of stakeholders to participate in a plaque-exchanging ceremony to mark this significant occasion..
“It gives me great pleasure to welcome the inaugural call of the Oasis of the Seas,” Minister Grant said. “This is one the greatest ships in the world, and so when in port, it is indeed a very special event for the destination.”
Minister Grant pointed out that this inaugural call was the first of five visits for 2016, in a year which St. Kitts will break the one million mark of cruise passengers visiting in a cruise season. He said Port Zante was built more than 20 years ago, however, the port is still able to accommodate the largest ships in the world, which is a testament to the vision of those people who conceptualize the port.
Captain of the Oasis of the Seas, Per Kristoffersen, said the ship came with 6380 guests, with more than 2,183 crew members representing a total of 77 nationalities.
“This is indeed a very special ship,” Captain Kristoffersen said. “However, I feel St. Kitts is even more special, especially since I have heard that St. Kitts has one of the best golf courses in the Caribbean, and so I am very eager to play few rounds.”
Also present at the ceremony were officials from the Ministry of Tourism, St. Kitts Tourism Authority, St. Christopher Air and Sea Port Authority, High Command of the St. Kitts Police Force and the ship’s agents Delisle Walwyn & Company Limited.
Today saw a total of three ships arriving in St. Kitts, bring more than close to 14,000 visitors to the destination.