Ruby Express docks in Port Castries for inaugural visit in 2024/2025 cruise season

Castries, Saint Lucia: Ruby Express, the newest member of the FRS-Express Des Iles fleet, has marked its inaugural visit for the 2024/2025 Cruise season. While welcoming over 100 passengers, the vessel docked at Port Castries on Wednesday and enhanced cruise connections.

Ruby Express has the capacity to carry 428 passengers with additional space for the transfer of 50 cars and up to 4 buses. The cruise vessel is known for its exceptional tourism offerings and sails under the flag of France. 

Several changes and additions have been made to the vessel, connecting Saint Lucia, Martinique, Guadeloupe and Dominica. With new services, the cruise ship will enhance its cruise connection and expand its footprint across the Caribbean region. 

The new vessel has also been joined by the Corail Express which has a seating capacity of 437, Perle Express with a seating capacity of 360 seats and Gold Express with a seating capacity of 446. While combining all these, a total of 1671 seats will offer smoother facilities and seamless travel options between the connecting islands. 

The cruise ship was welcomed by Saint Lucia Tourism Authority and other government officials at Port Castries. Vibrant performances from the local music artistes have also been organized to showcase the artistic approach and local culture of Saint Lucia. 

Saint Lucia Tourism Authority expressed pleasure and stated that they are enhancing the tourism products in adventure, romance, sports and events. With these initiatives, the country is aimed at enhancing the economy by propelling the cruise appeals of the destinations across the globe. 

Opening of Saint Lucia Cruise Tourism

The opening of the 2024/2025 cruise season was held on October 10, 2024, where every stakeholder and tourism official explored the offerings of Saint Lucia. With a brief event, the tourism authority of Saint Lucia showcased its stunning landscape, rich culture and warm hospitality. 

At the opening, it was unveiled that the tourists will be asked to explore lush rainforests and breathtaking beaches. The pre-packed tours will offer a chance to the tourists to enjoy the Sulphur Springs and mud baths, ATV Experiences, ziplining and so much more. They will also explore the magic of Saint Lucia with the delicious local cuisine and the displays of the unique traditions. 

The opening of the Saint Lucia Cruise Tourism was marked by the Celebrity Summit and Rhapsody of the Seas with a taste of Saint Lucian culture and cuisine through which over 1000 passengers docked in Port Castries. 

The ships offered exclusive opportunities for tourists, allowing them to explore the natural heritage and romantic landscapes of Saint Lucia. 

Projected Cruise Season of Saint Lucia 

According to Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, Saint Lucia is expected to surpass pre-pandemic levels in the tourist arriving. The passenger count is projected to remain 823,132, marking a 34% increase in travellers compared to 2023/2024 season. In the last season, the country welcomed around 600,000 cruise passengers with 400 cruise calls in total. 

In this season, the cruise calls are also expected to remain 459, marking a 74% rise in the calls compared to last year. Last year, Saint Lucia welcomed 19 inaugural calls with the ships including Carnival Venezia which arrived for its 14-day fun Italian cruise and provided homeporting. 

Cruise Tourism Benefits

Boost to Local Economy

Cruise tourism is considered a cornerstone for the economy of the Caribbean regions as it provides numerous employment opportunities and platform to earn income through basic works. 

The local businesses that are essential for reducing reliance on foreign products tend to flourish during the cruise season. The tour operators, artisans, taxi drivers, government, musicians and private sector service providers get the chance to generate new means of employment with the arrival of tourists from different markets including United States, United Kingdom and the Europe. 

Showcase of Vibrant Offerings of Saint Lucia

Through the cruise tourism, the government used the platform to display the vibrant offerings of Saint Lucia. With its delicious cuisine and other natural wonders, the tourists are asked to explore its hotspots, beaches and hotels that are specifically made for tourism advancement. 

During the period of the Jazz and Art Festival and Lucian Carnival, the tourists from across the globe experienced diverse cultural fabric. Besides this, Saint Lucia’s Dive Fest, featuring unparalleled underwater adventure, also attracts massive crowds as it offers a unique experience to tourists across the globe. 

Factors behind cruise tourism growth

According to the tourism experts, there are numerous factors that contribute towards the cruise tourism growth in the Caribbean region. But for Saint Lucia, the winning of Julien Alfred at the Olympics 2024 in the women’s 100m and 200m has contributed to the tourism boost. 

People started recognizing the small island nation after Olympic Gold Medalist Julien Alfred defeated US’s renowned Sha Cari Richardson and made the podium to play national anthem of her country. 

Netizens across the globe also searched Saint Lucia on the google to know more about the country from where Julien Alfred belong to. They also searched about its tourism appeal and got information about the hometown of the Olympic medalist.   

In addition to that, Saint Lucia also extended heroic welcome to the medalist in September as Julien Alfred day was also declared to honour for her accomplishment at the global stage. The coverage of international media about her biggest achievement garnered the attention of tourists from across the globe, making them visit her hometown. 

Tourists in Saint Lucia in August 2024

The tourism sector in Saint Lucia has experienced boost as the arrivals mark touched 34,895 figures, marking an impressive 27% increase compared to August 2023. The upward trend was accounted by the tourists from the United States. 

The tourism stakeholders expressed pleasure with the momentum and stated that Saint Lucia has been emerging as the tourist hotspot, offering robust recovery for the island post COVID-19 pandemic. 

Saint Lucia is also known as the honeymoon destination and received several awards at the World Travel Awards 2024. Ernest Hilaire- Minister of Tourism, noted that today marked the symbolic commencement of the 2024/2025 Cruise Season. He said that they are excited by the projections for the Season and are preparing to host the visitors who will be visiting. Today, they welcomed the Celebrity Summit and Rhapsody of the Seas with a taste of Saint Lucian culture and cuisine.