St. Kitts Cruise Visits Increase

St. Kitts had 244,782 cruise visitors in the first half of the year, a 10 percent increase, according to the St. Christopher Air and Sea Ports Authority. The figures included a 28 percent increase in the month of June to 16,076 passengers, compared with 12,594 the previous June.

Carnival Cruise Lines brought 82,655 passengers between January and June on 19 calls by the Carnival Victory and 10 by the Carnival Miracle. Total passenger counts on 25 calls by P&O and Princess in the first six months came to 65,283, while Holland America had 11,770 passengers on nine visits.

Royal Caribbean and Celebrity carried 50,792 passengers on eight calls. Other cruise calls were made by Cunard, Azamara, Star Clippers, Fred Olsen Cruises and Island Star.

Cruise arrivals are projected to approach the half-million mark for the first time from October 2009 to September 2010, according to Tourism Minister Ricky Skerritt. Projections call for 494,000 passengers, an 18 percent increase over the prior season.