A Norwegian Cruise Line vessel just got its first taste of “Sugar City,” showing its 3,099 passengers and 1,506 crew members a bit of the sweet life.
Pulling into Port Zante on December 5, 2024, Norwegian Prima, the first ship in the cruise line’s Prima Class, made her inaugural call on the island of St. Kitts.
“Today’s arrival of Norwegian Prima is a remarkable highlight of our dynamic cruise season,” said Hon. Marsha T. Henderson, St. Kitt’s minister of tourism. “With each new call, we strengthen the island’s position as a must-visit stop on the world’s most prestigious itineraries.“
As the first in a new line of Prima Class ships, Henderson referred to the 140,000-gross-ton Norwegian Prima as “a masterpiece of modern cruising, offering unparalleled experiences that align perfectly with St. Kitt’s reputation as a premier destination.“
Upon arrival, the ship’s captain, Roger Gustavsen, accepted a plaque from St. Kitts commemorating the inaugural visit, as is tradition in maritime protocol.
Read Also: St. Kitts Cruise Port – Piers, Getting Around, What’s Nearby
Norwegian Prima arrived at Port Zante in the island’s capital city of Basseterre during an 11-night Caribbean voyage that departed from New York City on November 30. Prior to the call, the ship had visited the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
It will continue to call on the US and British Virgin Islands before returning to New York on December 11.
St. Kitts will remain on Norwegian Prima’s route for two additional sailings. One, another voyage from New York departing on December 21, and the other during a 14-night journey from Galveston, Texas, departing on January 17, 2025.
St. Kitts Breaks Records and Prepares for 1 Million Passengers
St. Kitts has seen a surge in tourism due to strategic efforts by the island. By the end of September 2024, the island witnessed a near-22-percent increase in visitors over the previous year, with 118,574 total guest arrivals in just 30 days.
Much of the island’s tourism can be attributed to cruise ships, with St. Kitts welcoming just over 670,000 passengers during its 2023-2024 season.
Said Henderson, “St. Kitts is on an upward trajectory, and I commend my team, our stakeholders, and the local community for your support and invaluable contributions to the industry.”
In 2024-2025, Kitts is expecting even greater numbers in cruise tourism, with projections exceeding 1 million passengers from 391 scheduled cruise calls that include Norwegian Prima’s first visit, as well as inaugural calls from Explora Journey’s Explora II on December 2 and MSC Cruises’ MSC Virtuosa on December 4.
In fact, the island just witnessed a record-breaking six ships calling at Port Zante and nearby Carambola Beach Club on December 3, 2024.
This included the world’s largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean’s 5,610-passenger Icon of the Seas, along with Windstar Cruises’ Star Pride, Seabourn Cruise Line’s Seabourn Ovation, Crystal Cruises’ Crystal Serenity, Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Apex, and AIDA Cruises’ AIDAperla.
The six vessels equated to 13,458 passengers in one day, with St. Kitts reporting guests spent an average $145 per person during calls.
The island will also be featured on Royal Caribbean’s new Star of the Seas’s radar when the ship completes construction at Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland in July 2025. The 250,800-gross-ton, 5,610-passenger vessel is scheduled to make her first appearance on St. Kitts on September 11, 2025.
