The Montserrat Tourism Division is feeling positive about the cruise season so far.
In a release on Monday, the division said that the feedback from residents to the numerous calls has been positive.
“Locals, taxi drivers and vendors were pleased to see the return of cruise ships at Port Little Bay. The cruise season began in October 2022 with the successful inaugural visit of the Viking’s “Octantis” vessel. Cruise calls from the regular Wind Star Cruise Fleet and an inaugural visit from Ritz Carlton were also scheduled during November and December, however, these visits were cancelled due to rough seas,” the statement read.
“January 2023, saw the arrival of the Sea Dream Yacht Club vessel, which carries 112 passengers; 21 passengers disembarked the vessel to engage in tour activities. Additionally, the Silversea Cruise vessel, “Silver Dawn”, visited the island with 550 guests on board, the majority of which disembarked. 367 persons pre-booked island tours organised by Travel World International. These tours took passengers to the Montserrat National Trust, Montserrat Volcano Observatory, Kayaking tours, Hiking and Off-Road tours. Some passengers took trips
to Garibaldi Hill, the beach and also the Buried City tour to view the destruction of the former capital city, Plymouth.
“After the tours, some visitors expressed that they were impressed with the lush, green beauty of the North in contrast to the devastation of the Exclusion Zone. Some also indicated that they will consider visiting Montserrat for a longer stay. Many of them took back copies of the Tourism Division’s Island Guide, Top 50 Things to Do and the Road Map,” Division officials said.
On Tuesday, January 31, three cruise vessels are scheduled to call at Port Little Bay – Wind Star Pride, Wind Surf and Sea Dream.
The Tourism Division is encouraging tour and taxi operators and vendors to utilize this opportunity.
The division said the industry had a difficult time due to the pandemic. During this period, they delivered training to various sectors of the industry to “ensure they are prepared to provide a high-quality service.”
