The Antigua Cruise Port only opened fairly recently at the end of 2019, but the up-and-coming port has already proven it has what it takes to be one of the top ports in the Caribbean – and is now ending its record-breaking year with a bang.
While St. John, Antigua, is already expected to break more records during the peak 2024/2025 Caribbean season – which typically runs from December to April annually – the young port is also celebrating a big milestone to close out 2024.
On December 28, 2024, the Eastern Caribbean destination welcomed four vessels in one day – Norwegian Gem, Norwegian Breakaway, Emerald Azzurra, and Arvia – and their 13,312 passengers.
While up to five cruise ships can dock in Antigua at once, the port isn’t always at or close to capacity – making this an important day to celebrate for local tourism authorities.
“Today is a shining example of what teamwork, vision, and dedication can achieve. The significant growth we have experienced this year reflects the success of our strategic efforts to position Antigua as a leading cruise destination,” Antigua Cruise Port General Manager Gasper George said.
“It is an honor to welcome these magnificent vessels and the thousands of passengers who bring energy and vibrancy to our shores. This is just the beginning of what we can accomplish together,” continued George.
As of December 28, the cruise port – which provides access to Antigua and Barbuda – had received 570 cruise ship calls and 825,526 passengers during 2024.
This is a significant improvement upon the 446 ship calls and 670,234 passengers that visited Antigua in 2023. To really get into the numbers, it marks a 27% increase in cruise ship calls and a 23% increase in cruise guest arrivals year-over-year.
These numbers will also increase at least slightly before the year officially ends – with another round of four ships visiting the port on New Year’s Eve. The vessels in question include Norwegian Viva, Marella Voyager, Costa Fortuna, and AIDAperla.
Antigua Cruise Port Eyes Continued Growth
While 2024 has been a proud year for the Antigua Cruise Port, tourism and port authorities have been working to enhance the cruise infrastructure and to promote growth – and they fully intend to keep shattering records.
For example, a $30 million fifth berth was completed in 2020 in partnership with Royal Caribbean – making sure the port could accommodate the cruise line’s massive Oasis-class ships.
As seen through the uptick in ship calls, Antigua is already seeing its efforts pay off – and the cruise projects the island has in store aren’t even all completed.
“I am proud of how our collective investments in infrastructure and service excellence are paying off. Antigua Cruise Port’s innovative approach and tireless dedication have helped solidify our standing as a sought-after destination. This achievement is not only a win for our tourism sector but also for the economic prosperity of our communities,” said The Hon. Charles Fernandez, Minister for Tourism and Investment.
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Looking ahead, broad plans are in the works to beautify and enhance the utility of St. John, which is the capital city of Antigua, but specifics have not yet been announced.
More concretely, in March of 2024, the Antiguan government announced its decision to expand the existing cruise port to Rat Island – with the new development taking over a small spit of land on the north side of St. John’s cruise terminal.
The idea behind the initiative is to allow yachts and small cruise ships to dock at the new development, while bigger ships will continue to dock at the main Antigua Cruise Port and Heritage Quay.
The Caribbean destination is also working with Royal Caribbean to develop a new beach club at Fort James, which is located on the western side of St. John’s Harbour. That said, the $100 million project was delayed during the Covid-19 pandemic and it’s unclear when or if it will get back on track.
