POINTE BLANCHE--St. Maarten is poised to set a new cruise passenger record with the logging of some 1.6 million for the year. Although cruise passenger and crew spending has dipped in recent years due to the global financial crisis, the country has continued to be a preferred destination for visitors and the cruise lines.
The cruise arrival figure for the year stood at 1,416,830 cruise passengers at the end of November, a 159,297 or 12.7 per cent increase on the projection. Compared to the same period in 2010, there was an increase in cruise passenger arrival of eight per cent, according to figures from the St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies. There were 501 cruise ship calls up to and including November.
The cruise arrival figure for the month of November was 183,152 with a total of 68 cruise ship calls, eight more than in the same month last year.
For December, the projected arrival figure is 206,340.
Harbour Group CEO Mark Mingo said that with the cruise business reaching a record number, "our focus will also be more geared towards higher customer satisfaction levels, surveys and expenditure levels for Cruise Passenger and Crew members are key."
Harbour Group CEO Mark Mingo said that with the cruise business reaching a record number, "our focus will also be more geared towards higher customer satisfaction levels. Surveys on expenditure levels for cruise passengers and crew members are key."
Further, "For the large cruise segment, we will focus more on the value added services, fuelling the cruise ships, receiving the recycle material such as glass and aluminium for export."
The Harbour Group also will place heavy emphasis and focus on "a more secure environment for our guests in the Philipsburg area. More focus will be given towards attracting the smaller cruise vessels, from high services to home porting at our facility."
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