Cancellation of the Allure of the Seas visits results in loss of 32,000 cruise passengers
With a projected decrease in cruise ships and cruise passengers for the 2019/2020 cruise season, the cruise industry in St Kitts and Nevis was dealt another blow Thursday with the announcement that the 6,400 passenger Allure of the Seas has cancelled five calls to Port Zante for the season.
“A mechanical issue has caused the Allure of the Seas to alter its winter season itineraries to some of the islands in the Caribbean, including St Kitts and Nevis. The Allure of the Seas is experiencing pod issues, causing the cruise ship to travel at reduced speeds and burn more fuel. As a result specific itineraries have to be removed, which include the five calls to St Kitts,” said a statement from the St Kitts Tourism Authority.
The cancellation of the Allure of the Seas visits results in an estimated loss of 32,000 cruise ship visitors. Two other Oasis-class ships – the Harmony of the Seas and the Symphony of the Seas are scheduled to make five and seven calls respectively to Port Zante.
The Allure of the Seas which made its inaugural call to St Kitts’ Port Zante on December 30, 2011 also cancelled five calls to St Kitts in 2017.
The 2019/2020 itinerary projected 420 cruise ship calls with an estimated 1,086,844 passengers during the period October 2019 to September 2020, compared to 447 cruise ship calls with an estimated 1,2 million passengers for the period October 2018 to September 2019, a decrease of 10 percent and 6 percent respectively.
