As the cruise industry continues to ramp up the resumption of cruise operations, one of the main cruise ports in the Caribbean which is benefiting is Philipsburg, St. Maarten. The popular cruise destination is receiving six cruise ship visits in the remaining two weeks of July.
A Busy St. Maarten for the Remainder of July
The eastern Caribbean cruise port in St. Maarten is proving to be a key part of resuming operations. The port has become among the most popular during the comeback of cruise ships over the last month, not just as a port of call but as a homeport too.
For the remaining two weeks of July, there will be six cruise ship calls at the port. The Celebrity Edge, the first cruise ship to restart from the US on June 26, already made a visit to St. Maarten on Wednesday, July 21. The Celebrity cruise ship is arrived at around 6:00 AM and departed at 5:00 PM.
Celebrity Summit is scheduled to call in St. Maarten on Saturday, July 24, with an arrival time of 600 Am, and she will spend all day in port with a departure of 10:00 PM. Windstar Cruises’ Star Breeze vessel will also be calling on July 24, arriving at 6:00 AM and departing at 7:00 PM.
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โVessel capacities is something that will be determined based on cruise bookings and the ongoing U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guideline modifications based on industry test cruises.โMost cruise lines have already announced full vessel deployments by the end of year. We continue to be very confident based on current trends that the upcoming five months and going into 2022 will be very promising for the destination as together we navigate through the pandemic,โ Port St. Maarten Management said on Tuesday.
The other three ships making a call to St. Maarten will be Seabourn Odyssey on Wednesday, July 28, with an arrival time of 8:00 AM and departing at 6:00 PM; Celebrity Summit will make her second call to the island within the two weeks on Saturday, July 31 with an arrival time of 6:00 AM and departing at 10:00 PM; then to complete the month, Star Breeze will make her second call in two weeks also on July 31, arriving at 6:00 AM and with a departure of 7:00 PM.
The situation looks good beyond July, with the port expecting thousands of cruise passengers to arrive between August and December. Port officials are also in dialogue with cruise lines to keep moving forward, and more ships can make a return to the cruise port.
Exploring and experiencing the island is an important factor for cruise guests to enjoy the island. Port St. Maarten has reiterated that it’s looking to local stakeholders such as Taxis, retailers, and tour operators to keep up the standards on keeping everyone protected and safe.