Cruise ships in port on Saturday.
PORT–Saturday was a very high traffic day at Port St. Maarten with seven cruise ships in port and the catering to cruisers who ended and those who started their cruise from here aboard Star Flyer, Wind Surf, and Seabourn Odyssey.
The homeporting vessels were joined by Silver Spirit, Carnival Fascination, Koningsdam, and Freedom of the Seas to represent a combined total of more than 16,000 passengers and crew. The seven vessels were all moored at the two cruise piers.
There has also been a noticeable increase in demand for cruise ship crew changes. More than 50 crew members from one cruise line were flown in to the destination last week to join their vessel. Port management says this once more signifies the importance of the destination to the industry.
The Port is very pleased with the increase in “Fly and Cruise Home Porting” for the current cruise season. Emphasis has been placed on luxury cruise brands that translate into more spending power of passengers based on their higher disposable-income levels. This also shifts the destination from quantity to quality cruise tourism, thereby increasing the destination’s value due to attracting other high-end brand lines, said the Port.
Homeporting generates more airlift in and out of the destination, according to the Port. It also brings additional business for local service providers and creates the potential for pre- and post-cruise extension visits. Guests often have some time to explore the destination prior to boarding and after disembarking the homeported vessel. This has significant economic gains that trickle down to multiple sectors of the country.
Plans for United States Customs pre-clearance services at Princess Juliana International Airport would be a plus, stimulating connectivity and attracting new businesses due to a seamless travel-cruise experience, said the Port.
The Port’s strategic plan calls for a permanent homeport terminal that can handle vessels carrying 1,500-plus cruise passengers. The current homeporting terminal is a temporary air-conditioned tent that can handle up to 1,000 guests at peak hours. It has 12 check-in kiosks and a luggage screening machine, bar and restaurant, a VIP section with seating for some 80 passengers, Wi-Fi and other facilities. More than 1,200 pieces of luggage can be stored in the terminal.
The Port has provisioned several cruise ships with dry and frozen goods sourced from local food wholesalers. Packaging from the locally-bought items is disposed of by a third-party port concessionaire who works directly with the cruise lines.
The Port has developed a strategy to increase cruise ship provisioning with a view of becoming the lead cruise-ship-provisioning seaport in the near future. This will be very beneficial to the economy by creating more employment in the food wholesale sector, the Port said.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/85298-port-sees-busy-saturday-with-multiple-ships-homeporting
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