Saint Lucia Prepares for Summer Cruise Tourism
For the first time in a year, the island of St. Lucia is preparing to welcome back international cruise tourism. Royal Caribbean Cruise Line has jumpstarted the return of the cruise industry to Saint Lucia after more than a year of inactivity, naming the island as a port-of-call on a mid-July itinerary that will see Celebrity Millennium make its first voyage of the season to the destination, as well as to sister islands and homeports of St. Maarten and Barbados.
“We are enthusiastic that with the advent of science and technology amid this pandemic, we can prepare for a silver lining. The impact of the cruise sector has been noted the world over and its absence has left an impression on our island’s people. We are therefore looking forward to working within strict protocol to see the successful resumption of the sector”, said St. Lucia Tourism Minister-Honorable Dominic Fedee.
The island worked closely with Royal Caribbean International to determine the protocols necessary to keep passengers and citizens safe from infection. They include vaccinations for both passengers and crew over the age of 18 years, full compliance to pre-arrival COVID-19 testing and limited shore excursion tour options. All passengers disembarking on the island will be required to wear a facemask, adhere to physical distancing, and regular sanitizing.
St. Lucia’s Special Tourism Committee
St. Lucia also established a special committee to provide oversight over the resumption of cruise tourism which include the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Health, Port Health, Saint Lucia Air & Sea Ports Authority, Invest Saint Lucia, Customs, Immigration, Port Security, Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, Saint Lucia Tourism Authority and Cruise Agencies – Cox and Company Limited and Foster and Ince.
The protocols will continue to be examined and updated where necessary as the July restart date draws nearer. The committee will meet regularly to closely review and approve protocols for the resumption of the cruise industry, port health procedures, review of the terminal and its operations and logistics for the execution of excursions within protocol.