MV Celebrity Summit docks in Dominica at launch of 2024/2025 cruise season

Roseau, Dominica: The much-anticipated 2024/2025 Cruise Season has been kicked off in Dominica with the arrival of the first ship- MV Celebrity Summit at Roseau Cruise Ship Berth on Thursday. 

Thousands of passengers arrived in Dominica who explored the scenic views, lush rainforests, waterfalls and warm island vibes. Several of them also selected pre-packed tours and enhanced their tourism experience with rich culture and stunning landscapes in the Nature Isle. 

MV Celebrity Summit has the capacity to carry over 2,158 passengers and provide exceptional tourism offerings. As the premium cruise ship of the Celebrity Cruises, the vessel consisted of 11 decks and offered Millennium class. 

The vessel arrived at Roseau Cruise Berth at around 9: 00 am and the departed for other sailings across Caribbean at 6: 00 pm. The passengers interacted with the citizens of Dominica and receive their warm hospitality. 

The tour operators, restaurant holders and other street vendors received a huge market with the start of the cruise season as the tourists tend to explore the hotspot destinations and create lifetime memories. 

As the cruise season opened in Dominica with thousands of passengers, Minister of Tourism- Denise Charles expressed optimism about the upcoming upward trends in the tourism economy. 

With an aim to welcome 1 million cruise passengers by 2030, the Tourism Ministry has been working with new efforts to enhance the industry every year. This year, Dominica is expected to welcome 235 cruise calls, marking an 11% surge in the tourist arrivals from the last year. 

According to Denise Charles, a total of 375,000 passengers are expected to visit Dominica through cruise ship in this year. It will be the 22% surge in the tourist arrivals compared to the previous year of the cruise season. 

In addition to that, 12 ships including MV AIDAbella and MV Majestic Princess are expected to pay their maiden visit to Dominica. From taxi drivers, tour guides, hair braiders and vendors to Park Wardens, Receptionists and Security Officers at the cruise berth will benefit from the season. 

They will offer their services to the passengers and make them explore the new destinations in Dominica such as world’s largest boiling lake, Trafalgar Falls, Titou Gorge, Boeri Lake and other rainforest's scenic views. 

Developments in Cruise Tourism and Infrastructure

As the cruise industry plays a significant role in the economy, Dominica Ministry of Tourism has been enhancing its infrastructure with new development. Recently, the Ministry of Public Works has completed the work on the upgradation of the Bayfront Road with new pavements and curbs. The project was aimed at providing seamless travel options to the travellers with a worth of $2.7 million. 

Several key sites where the tourists from pre-packed tours visit including Kalinago Barna Aute, Trafalgar Falls, Emerald Pool and Titou Gorge have been renovated with power washing, resurfacing and vegetation management. At the cost of $600,000, the tourism ministry enhanced the infrastructure at these sites to improve the display of the scenic views of Dominica. 

Now, beautiful artwork has also been placed at these sites to showcase the cultural creativity of Dominica.