Oct. 9, 2004 – West Indian Co. Ltd. President and Chief Executive Officer Edward E. Thomas Friday announced expectations for October 2004 through April 2005 of the winter cruise ship season, after final discussions with the cruise lines in Miami and Fort Lauderdale.
While WICO is predicting 1.4 million cruise-ship tourist visitors to St. Thomas-St. John during that time period, St. Croix is scheduled to receive just seven visits in seven months, Thomas said in a release. The good news is that it may be a lot more visitors than last year.
The brand-new Mediterranean Shipping Co. vessel Opera will call on St. Croix Dec. 8, 2004; Jan. 19, Feb. 2, Feb. 16, March 2, March 16 and March 30, 2005.
Opera is embarking on its inaugural voyages this winter season, according to the company Web site, www.msccruises.com. The ship has 878 cabins and 800 crew members and can carry 1,756 passengers, according to the Web site. The visits are scheduled between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. on days the ship will dock in Frederiksted, and the potential is for 12,000 visitors (plus crew) to visit St. Croix during the season.
Carnival Cruise Lines had expressed an interest in returning to St. Croix this coming season as recently as June, assuming people on the islands started "doing the right things," (see "Cruise Association President: Carnival 'Interested'"), but no Carnival ship visits to St. Croix are reflected on the current WICO schedule.
For more information, contact Alfred Lloyd at 774-1780, ext. 2214.
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