Major cruise lines have rejected a suggestion for Antigua & Barbuda to become a regional home port.
Tourism Minister John Maginley
Tourism Minister John Maginley, who led a local delegation that was taking part in the world’s largest cruise industry tradeshow – Seatrade Cruise Shipping Miami – said that while the executives for some small lines supported the suggestion, large cruise lines have not bought into the idea.
“We asked a couple of the larger ships if they wanted to call in Antigua, because we have a lot of airlift and people are looking at it. Barbados has done some home porting, and we continue to ask the question: do we have the infrastructure to handle moving 3,000 people on a cruise ship in one day?” Maginley said.
“The airport is pretty small already, and a lot of them look at it and say, if on a Saturday we brought people in for a Sunday cruise, can your airport handle an additional 3000 people?”
He added, “But we continue to talk with them. I think two of the smaller ones are looking at the possibility of home porting in Antigua because of our airlift, but the bigger ones are staying in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, and maybe Puerto Rico.”
The tourism minister said St Lucia and Antigua & Barbuda are pushing to have Puerto Rico reinstated as a hub. He said the islands would benefit because of the close proximity of such a home port.
Meantime, the minister said the country will not lower its cruise passenger target for 2011, despite the loss of two ships.
Maginley is optimistic that the country could meet its target of 625,000 cruise passengers for this year, though he anticipates challenges. (Antigua Observer)
