Caretaker TEATT Minister Stuart Johnson (seated, centre) and Port St. Maarten representatives meeting with Royal Caribbean officials on Thursday at the FCCA Conference and Trade Show in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico–Port St. Maarten management and caretaker Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Minister Stuart Johnson had a meeting with Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited (RCL) at the 26th Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) Conference and Trade Show in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Thursday, October 24, regarding its future calls to St. Maarten.
The FCCA Conference and Trade Show is a five-day event designed “to create a better understanding of the inner workings of the cruise industry and help attendees improve their cruise tourism business,” according to a press release.
The meeting took place with RCL Vice President of Destination Development, Latin America and Caribbean Federico Gonzalez-Denton, and RCL Vice-President Government Relations in the Americas Russell Benford.
“There will be a drop in cruise calls as well as passengers in 2020 from Royal Caribbean, which is our largest cruise partner. This has to do with the cruise line’s deployment adjustments to other regions in the world as a normal course of business, which happens from time to time.
“Royal Caribbean representatives highlighted the importance of destination St. Maarten and that the island has all the key ingredients that their customers are looking for. They also reiterated the destination’s top benchmarks where guests’ experiences are concerned,” said Port St. Maarten on Sunday.
“We reiterated our strong partnership with Port St. Maarten in our discussions this morning, and we are looking forward to adding additional vessels to the destination over the mid- to long-term. We continue to introduce a new era of cruising and Port St. Maarten is part of that.
“Royal Caribbean is known for its innovation and constantly pushes the boundaries of what’s possible as we redefine the ultimate vacation. St. Maarten will continue to be part of our ship deployment strategies, especially being a key partner in the Northeastern Caribbean,” said RCL on Thursday.
“The meeting with the Royal Caribbean executives went very well, as RCL has a longstanding bond with our country. We can have confidence in the future and look forward to more ship calls, as the cruise line plans to deploy additional vessels to the destination over the long term. They are fully aware of the magical experience that the destination offers and are committed to the island.
“The need for expansion of Pier Two, an enhanced port experience and improved destination excursion options are of paramount importance to our country’s overall vision. I remain committed to seeing this through for the sole benefit of our people and our country,” said Johnson.
“The Royal Caribbean executives were informed about the port’s plans for the extension of Pier Two, which would increase berthing space. They were very pleased to hear about this and are looking forward to adding more vessels over the long term.
“The future looks bright for the destination, especially when we look at the new vessels that will be constructed in the next six to 10 years. There will be between 60 and 100 new cruise ships built. The Caribbean is the largest region in the world catering to over one-third of the cruise business, with on average 89 berths.
“The region generates more than 50 per cent of cruise line revenues. With such a stake in world cruise tourism, the industry cannot do without the region and St. Maarten as a mecca for the cruise industry.
“We are looking forward with confidence as we make critical infrastructural investments that will be able to accommodate the additional cruise capacity that will be setting sail in the not-too-distant future,” said Port St. Maarten.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/92029-johnson-port-management-meet-with-royal-caribbean
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