Aruba Reports Record Growth in Cruise Business

Aruba reported that it welcomed a record 267,765 cruise passengers in the first three months of 2008, an increase of 27 percent compared to the same period last year.

In the first six months of the year, 348,771 cruise passengers visited the Dutch island, a 20.5 percent increase over the same period in 2007. Aruba Cruise Tourism said its Information and Survey kiosks in the cruise terminal found that 73.2 percent took the cruise because Aruba was on the itinerary.

The data found that 14.9 percent of the cruise guests were on the cruise because of marriage/honeymoon, 37.5 percent took the cruise for family and social events, while 12 percent sailed “because the price was right.” Of those surveyed, 66.5 percent were “extremely happy” with the port facility. For more information, visit http://www.arubabycruise.com/.