BASSETERRE – On June 24, the MS Disney Fantasy, will be making its inaugural visit to St Kitts, which signifies another momentous occasion for the country as more new ships are eager to come to St Kitts.
Onboard, there will be a plaque exchange ceremony, which will officially welcome the ship. Plaques will be exchanged between officials from the private and public sector, including Delisle Walwyn Group of Companies, the Ministry of Tourism, St Christopher Air and Sea Ports Authority (SCASPA), the St Kitts Tourism Authority and officials from the ship. This is usually followed by a tour of the ship.
About 4 000 passengers are expected to be onboard the Disney Fantasy. It will be making a total of three calls to St Kitts for the 2017-2018 cruise season.
Disney is a family oriented brand and it sees St Kitts as an ideal destination to cater to its port calls.
Public relations officer at the St Kitts Tourism Authority Jonette Boyd said presently the island has tours that take large numbers of visitors out into the wider country. Vehicles include trains, sailboats, motor boats, buses, ATVs, helicopters and mopeds.
In addition, St Kitts has been concentrating on the luxury market in terms of its on-island product development and marketing.
The result is a destination product collection that often delivers more than the customer’s expectations.
“This is a huge advantage for St Kitts,” says Boyd. “The guest expectation is often exceeded. Guests usually come in with very low expectations, but leave with a high rated positive visitor experience. The pressure is on our destination to continue to exceed expectations, while continuing to handle growth.”
She explained that St Kitts and Nevis is located in the middle of the Caribbean archipelago surrounded by a number of English, Spanish and French‐speaking destinations, which makes it an ideal cruise destination.
“St Kitts has a plethora of accessible activities and attractions that appeal to cruise passengers,” she said.
“There are a number of beaches, dive and snorkeling opportunities, brilliant mountain views, lush greenery and vegetation, and a variety of water sport activities. There are also over 240 inventoried historical sites such as Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park, the Springfield Cemetery and Spooner’s Ginnery to name a few. Also, there are numerous shops and vendors offering local crafts and trinkets.”
The MS Disney Fantasy cruise ship is owned and operated by the Disney Cruise Line, which entered service in 2012.
The ship is identical to its sister ship, the Disney Dream with a gross tonnage of 130 000 and a length of over 1 120 feet.
The ship features a popular attraction, the AquaDuck water coaster. The ship also has feature shows such as Disney’s Aladdin. The ship consists of a total of 1250 cabins that host between 2 500 to 3 500 passengers. The Disney ship staterooms are 205 to 255 square feet and equipped with ample closet space, normal sized living space and split bathrooms. (SKNIS)
