Jewel of the Seas docks in Port Zante on maiden call, Nevisian Harry Yearwood captained for first time

St Kitts and Nevis: Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas docked in Port Zante on its maiden call on April 2, 2024 which was captained by Nevisian Harry Yearwood for the first time in the history. He successfully helmed the 297-metre-long ship with 3,5000 passengers and docked the ship as the Chief Officer for the group.

Yearwood expressed that this was a memorable moment of his life and said that he was also fascinated by the boars and sea from a young age. After his education, he pursued his studies through formal training in sailing and obtained a commercial license to sail ships.

He worked in the industry for over 13 years and sailed across the globe, gaining valuable expertise and eventually becoming the Chief. He said that he worked hard in the industry and the achievement marked his potential and ability of excelling on the global stage.

Harry Yearwood is the son of Alastair and Clare Yearwood and hailed from the village of Westbury on Nevis. After his training, he gained the STCW 95 certificate which is an internationally-recognized mandatory document for those who work in the maritime industry.

During his 13 years of career in the Royal Caribbean group, Yearwood captained several cruises ships including “Majesty of the Seas”, “Adventure of the Seas”, Quantum of the Seas”, “Radiance of the Seas” and “Wonder of the Seas”. Through this, he gained experience and enhance his ranks to his present position of Chief Officer and third in command on the “Jewel of the Seas”.

The moment is considered memorable across the Federation and the wider Caribbean, as Yearwood turned out to be a great inspiration for those seeking a career in the industry. Besides this, the achievement is also taken as valuable because it enhanced the contribution of the citizens of the Caribbean community to the cruise industry.

Despite having 34% contribution of the Caribbean into the cruises worldwide, there are very few officers from the region on the vessels.