Antigua and Barbuda’s cruise sector posted another strong day as six vessels delivered nearly 13,000 passengers to St. John’s and Falmouth harbours, marking the second consecutive day of heavy arrivals.
Five ships docked in St. John’s Harbour, with another calling at Falmouth. Vessels in port included Majestic Princess, Enchanted Princess, Insignia, MSC Divina and Explora I.
Tourism officials said the total represents the third-highest single-day passenger count of the current cruise season, behind the peak of 15,662 visitors recorded on December 4. Projections point to an even larger influx on January 23, when more than 17,000 cruise passengers are expected in one day.
The arrivals injected brisk activity into the capital, with taxi operators, vendors, retailers, tour companies and restaurants reporting strong business as visitors moved through the city and surrounding attractions.
At the same time, the volume of passengers has renewed focus on managing peak-day pressures, including traffic flow, parking and crowd movement in St. John’s. Industry stakeholders say the surge highlights opportunities to improve coordination, expand visitor dispersal beyond the capital and develop smarter transport solutions as the cruise season intensifies.
