St Kitts welcomes Allure of the Seas this season

St Kitts and Nevis: Allure of the Seas graced the shores of St Kitts by docking at Port Zante. The cruise ship, carrying 5,400 guests and 3,000 crew members, aims to position St Kitts and Nevis as a leading destination for cruise tourism.

The Royal Caribbean International’s newest and largest Oasis-class cruise ship, with 16 decks, and 2,700 staterooms is scheduled to berth at Port Zante on Friday 30th December 2011 at 8 a.m. It carries 5,400 guests and 3,000 crew members.

Most of whom are expected to disembark and go on island-wide sight-seeing tours via the St. Kitts Scenic Railway and taxis, snorkeling, hiking, sea and sun bathing, bicycling, gambling, sailing and shopping.

As per the industry officials, Allure’s inaugural visit is a strong indicator of the continuing appeal of St. Kitts as a vibrant, authentic Caribbean cruise destination and glowing testament to the versatility of the Port Zante cruise pier for accommodating all ship sizes.

Organisers plan to capitalise on the annual national carnival celebrations by introducing Allure passengers to ‘Folklore Avenue’, a cultural concept started a few years ago by the Department of Culture.

The passengers will visit Port Zante and Historic Basseterre, which are closed to vehicular traffic so that the music, dancing and traditional costuming of local folkloric groups are displayed.

This event will be in addition to the several popular local adventure and scenic tours which are normally available to cruise passengers.

Royal Caribbean owned ships are currently scheduled to make a total of 42 port calls to St. Kitts in the 2011-2012 season, up from 20 calls in the 2010-2011 season.

The Royal Caribbean ships that have previously visited St. Kitts include the 3,114-passenger Adventure of the Seas, the 3,840-passenger Explorer of the Seas, the 2,500-passenger Jewel of the Seas, the 3,840-passenger Navigator of the Seas, and the 2,540-passenger Serenade of the Seas.