Cruise travelers at the Ann E. Abramson Marine Facility on St. Croix will now have transportation to and from the ship on the pier, courtesy of the Virgin Islands Port Authority.
VIPA has purchased a Moto Electric Vehicles trolley that can transport up to 38 passengers that need assistance traversing the 1,526-foot cruise ship pier. The trolley is also ADA-compliant. A charging station has been installed at the dock, and the electric trolley will be operated by trained VIPA personnel, according to the press release.
VIPA Executive Director Carlton Dowe said that the Royal Caribbean Group requested the trolley at the 2023 Seatrade Cruise Convention in March. Both entities have signed an agreement to work in partnership to improve the territory’s cruise industry. RCG committed to almost tripling its calls to St. Croix during the 2023 cruise season, the press release stated.
Dowe said, “RCG has kept its promise to bring 140,000 cruise visitors to Frederiksted. VIPA is now proud to deliver on our pledge to make the arrival experience at our pier in Frederiksted more accessible for our visitors. We look forward to another robust cruise season on St. Croix and a continued successful partnership with Royal Caribbean Group,” he said. Dowe added that he also thanked Diageo USVI for their donation of a smaller trolley earlier this year to help provide transportation for cruise visitors.
