Antigua and Barbuda welcomes over 18,000 cruise passengers as five ships dock at St. John’s Harbour

Antigua and Barbuda: Five cruise ships arrived in Antigua and Barbuda’s St. John’s Harbour with more than 18,000 cruise passengers and crew members on board, underscoring the continued strength of the nation’s cruise tourism sector.

On February 18, Antigua and Barbuda’s Cruise Port announced that the country welcomed over 18,000 cruise passengers and crew at St. John's Harbour.  This was one of those busy days for the country, as the streets were filled with tourists, greatly boosting the local tourism economy on the island.

This season, Antigua and Barbuda has been experiencing a steady influx of cruise visitors. According to the Port Authority, the increasing visitor traffic reflects the island’s strong presence and growing confidence as a preferred destination.

The five vessels-Norwegian Epic, Britannia, Celebrity Ascent, Marella Discovery 2 and Emerald Sakara called to port at St. John’s and brought a total of 18,399 guests to shore. 13,229 of those visitors were cruise passengers, and 5,170 were crew members.

The ship with the highest number of cruise passengers and crew members was Norwegian Epic, which brought 4,484 passengers and 1,571 crew. Britannia carried 3,269 visitors and 1,351 crew to the island while Celebrity Ascent arrived with 3,181 passengers and 1,430 crew. Additionally, Marella Discovery 2 transported 1,835 passengers and 743 crew members, and Emerald Sakara had 100 passengers and 75 crew on board.

Antigua Cruise Port took to Facebook to share news of this momentous day, noting that officials expect similar days throughout the season. The post was captioned, “18,000 Reasons, With Plenty More Ahead This Cruise Season.”

The cruise port has shared that this upward trajectory will continue as the island expects to welcome more large vessels to its port. Furthermore, the port noted that the season’s success reflects long-term growth in the tourism sector and increased confidence in Antigua and Barbuda being a premium destination.

“Antigua Cruise Port continues to welcome large-scale vessels, many on return calls that provide steady weekly traffic for stakeholders. The 2025/2026 cruise season reflects sustained growth, operational strength, and increasing confidence from our cruise partners in Antigua & Barbuda as a destination of choice,” shared Antigua’s Cruise Port.