With the 2018/2019 cruise season off to an official start on Tuesday October 30, 2018, Dominica prepares to welcome the MV Fascination of Carnival Cruise Line and MV Mien Schiff 5 of TUI Cruises on November 6, 2018. The ships will be docked at the Roseau Cruise Ship Berth and the Woodbridge Bay Port respectively. This is consequently the last call by Carnival Cruise Line to Dominica for the 2018/2019 cruise season.
Carnival Lines resumed fortnightly calls to Dominica on July 10, 2018 since the MV Carnival Victory had stopped calling Dominica in 2010 after a 20 year relationship. Dominica received a total of nine (9) cruise calls from Carnival Cruise Lines since the resumption of calls to the island on July 10, 2018. This translates to a total of 23,769 cruise passengers. Dominica is scheduled to receive a total of eighteen (18) cruise calls from TUI Cruises for the 2018/2019 cruise season. TUI Cruise Lines was the first to make consecutive calls to the island post Hurricane Maria. With the assertion of Dominica’s to readiness to receive cruise visitors, barely four months after the passage of Hurricane Maria, TUI took a “leap of faith” and began making fortnightly calls to the island from January 28, 2018 to April 8, 2018. This translated to a total of 6 calls with a total of 14,852 cruise passengers. Together, Carnival Fascination and Mein Schiff 5, will bring well over 4000 passengers to the island’s shores on Tuesday, November 6, 2018.
Activities planned to welcome the cruise passengers of MV Carnival Fascination and MV Mein Schiff 5, will include a series of cultural entertainment to be held on the Dame Mary Eugenia Charles Boulevard, Woodbridge Bay Port and Trafalgar Falls. Preschoolers of SPICES Centre and Bright Beginnings preschools, will form part of the welcome ceremony to greet cruise visitors’ upon arrival at the Roseau Cruise Ship Berth, by waving the national flag.
A total of 189 cruise calls are projected for the 2018/2019 cruise season which equates to approximately 304,031 cruise passengers. Dominica expects to welcome nine (9) new cruise ships to its shores. Inaugural ceremonies to include plaque exchanges will be held aboard the respective ships.
DDA solicits the cooperation of all tourism stakeholders in ensuring a welcoming and enjoyable experience for the cruise visitors. The Government of Dominica will continue its effort in promoting Dominica as a desirable cruise destination so as to increase cruise calls to Dominica.