FCCA: Cruise Destinations in Eastern Caribbean Bounce Back

Most Caribbean destinations were operating immediately after 2017's devastating hurricane season, and the hardest hit area—the Eastern Caribbean—has made impressive strides.

Through their determination and tireless efforts, the British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten/St. Martin andthe US Virgin Islands have not only recovered their livelihoods and tourism, but also worked to improve their products, prepare for the future and address sustainability, according to the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association.

The cruise tourism recovery in the British Virgin Islands is well under way, with most of the major restoration works completed and services 100 percent operational for the cruise port, Tortola Pier Park, which also has 50 of its on-site stores open and all expected back online by August.

Hotel rooms and attractions awaiting guests include 684 rooms available throughout hotels and villas, 94 restaurants and 16 attractions, including a zip line.

New initiatives include various interactive experiences fused with BVI culture that cruise passengers can experience, such as cooking classes with local dishes, mixology with local rum and liqueurs, and cultural parades. Six Bohios will be added on popular beaches in Tortola, Virgin Gorda andJost Van Dyke, and theSugar Works museum is to be renovated.

The recoveries of Puerto Rico, St. Maarten and USVI were so swift that they were often welcoming more than 10,000 passengers per day by January. And, as of Feb. 16, San Juan, Puerto Rico, was seeing cruise passenger satisfaction levels higher than those preceding the storms, while satisfaction levels were also tracking higher than pre-hurricane levels for St. Thomas, USVI and St. Maarten, according to Terry Thornton, Carnival Cruise Line’s SVP port operations, guest care and international.

Puerto Rico offers vibrant nightlife, booming culinary and arts scenes and the charm of Old San Juan's cobblestone streets.

The island has also shown its post-hurricanes readiness by hosting big-ticket events including in DIVAS Half Marathon and 5K, a PGA Tour special event, IRONMAN 70.3 and the upcoming Major League Baseball Puerto Rico Series.

The US Virgin Islands are also fully open for business, with most of the popular attractions, restaurants and shops open across St. Croix, St. John, St. Thomas and Water Island.

More than 50 percent of accommodations across the territory are open and accepting guests, and other properties continue to repair or rebuild. Including hotels, villas and other rental options, there are approximately 2,500 units available in the St. Thomas-St. John district, and St. Croix has more than 1,300 units available for stay-over guests.

Plus, the government is working on a deal for an equity investment in a new 110-room hotel located at Yacht Haven Grande on St. Thomas—the first new hotel built in the territory in decades.

In addition to beautiful beaches, world-class diving, national parks and an incredible culinary scene, new attractions and activities in USVI include customized treasure hunts for couples, families and groups on St. Thomas and St. John and trendy eateries and shops on St. Croix such as Mahogany Chocolate Co.’s bean-to-bar concept and Leatherback Brewing Co.’s craft beers made from local ingredients.

St. Maarten/St. Martin have been welcoming cruise passengers since early December 2017, with many cruise lines reporting higher satisfaction levels than before the storms, according to Port St. Maarten management.

Port St. Maarten has also exceeded its projections of passenger numbers, beatings its estimate from January to June by 15 percent and welcoming more than 733,000 passengers via 230 cruise calls. And homeporting is scheduled to return in December, with 14 to 16 cruises during high season.

Stay-over tourism is steadily returning with the continuous process of hotel recovery. With more hotels reopening seemingly every day—such as the Oyster Bay Beach Resort on June 1 and Divi Little Bay Beach Resort in May—there are now more than 1,300 rooms and 34 percent of capacity available on Dutch St. Maarten and 350 rooms in French St. Martin. By year’s end, those numbers are expected to climb to 2,168 rooms and 56 percent in St. Maarten and 800 rooms and 45 percent in St. Martin.

The island offers 37 coral sand beaches, crystal blue waters, restaurants, watersports, duty-free shopping, casinos and more. Some 169 restaurants and bars are expected to be open by month’s end.

Plus, the destination has remained focused on improvement, with initiatives including new cultural festivals and nighttime events for visitors and locals alike, a joint tourism memorandum of understanding with the Dutch and French governments, and an exit survey aimed at finding innovative ways to further enhance the guest experience.

Experiences for visitors across the Caribbean have been the focus of a multifaceted, multimedia campaign funded by FCCA. The campaign has generated about 6bn impressions, while showing a measurable improvement in terms of visitors who report they will not delay booking or taking a Caribbean vacation.

The campaign has included a series of initiatives including public service announcements by more than 30 celebrities, a satellite media tour; a website featuring an interactive map, passenger testimonials and a questions and answers section; and a media call with top cruise line leaders and over 70 media attendees.

Source: Seatrade Cruise News