Disney Cruise Lines Schedule 2009 Port Calls to St. Croix, USVI

Disney Cruise Lines has announced that it will make seven visits to St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands as part of its 2009 itinerary. St. Croix will be a featured stop on one new seven-night itinerary the line is introducing. The ship will visit twice in January and once each in February, March, October, November and December.

Cruise ship calls, or the lack of them, on St. Croix has been a major topic for residents and shipping lines for several years. The island has not seen regular cruise ship visits in several years. Although several lines have shown an interest, St. Thomas, St. Croix’s sister island 40 miles away, continues to enjoy its status as a top cruise destination in the Caribbean while St. Croix’s port remains empty.

In an effort to entice cruise ships, St. Croix offered bunkering calls in 2004 to take advantage of the lower fuel cost on the island. Those visits were usually at night and, although businesses organized night activities, some passengers never came ashore. Those visits abruptly stopped in November 2006.

The MS Columbus called on St. Croix last month. It was the first cruise ship to make a daytime visit to the island in several years.

USVI Gov. John de Jongh expressed pleasure that, after months of discussion, Disney “stepped forward with a solid commitment.” The chief executive said other cruise lines will soon follow suit. He added that St Croix offers cruise tourists a unique experience.