POINTE BLANCHE--St. Maarten has seen a 18.3 per cent increase in cruise passenger arrivals from January to August compared to the same period last year, according to figures from St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies.
A total of 82,024 cruisers visited the island in August, a 107.9 per cent increase over the same month last year when 39,447 visited in 12 ship calls.
Last month, 9,556 more cruise passengers visited the island than had been projected for the month. There were 21 cruise ship calls.
A slight dip in September's cruise passenger and ship calls is expected due to the cancellations caused last week with the passing of Hurricane Earl that forced a four-day closure of Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise and Cargo Facilities due to high waves and the almost zero visibility under the water surrounding the two cruise piers. September's cruise passenger arrival was tagged at 77,064.
The water around the piers and the ship approach lanes had to be checked by divers after the hurricane has passed to ensure that no debris that could hamper or endanger the ships had settled in the areas. The water draft also had to be checked to see if more sand has piled up around the piers, posing a hindrance to ships.
Harbour Group CEO Mark Mingo remains confident that the island will meet and surpass the cruise passenger projections for the year. This year's arrival is tagged at 1,454,274. Actual cruise passenger arrival for the last year was 1,215,146.
Mingo said a strong relationship, fostered by now former Harbour Affairs Commissioner Theo Heyliger and the harbour board, continues with cruise partners and many were eager to have their ships calling again after Earl had passed. Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines' Serenade of the Seas was the first ship to come into port after the hurricane.
Cruise tourism is the main economic generator for the island. It is bigger than stay-over tourism which is still struggling to bounce back from the devastation of Hurricane Luis 15 years ago and more recently the global economic crisis. The crisis and past sky-high fuel costs had driven up airline prices.
More people have been opting for cruises because of the cost and the hassle-free travel experience, Mingo said. "As St. Maarten, we are always looking for ways to continuously promote the island and what it has to offer to visitors. Our marketing campaign was shifted to focus on Europe over three years ago to take advantage of strong euro."
St. Maarten hosted its millionth cruise passenger on August 21, the first time that milestone was reached so early in the year.
