Port St. Maarten has received 316 cruise calls so far this year
PHILIPSBURG--During the first eight months of 2022, Port St. Maarten has welcomed 493,000 cruise passengers. The total passenger numbers to date outpace the port’s projection over this period by almost 55,000 passengers.
Since January 1 Port St. Maarten has received 316 cruise calls. In the first quarter cruise vessel occupancy numbers were low, but later on ships carried many more passengers, some up to full capacity.
In an invited comment, the Acting Minister of Tourism & Economic Affairs Omar Ottley said: “Many business owners and stakeholders have been concerned with the low cruise activity during the summer period. We found it important to notify the public that the decrease in cruise activity was no fault of the destination, but due to the salvaging of numerous ships during the pandemic.”
The minister suggested shifting perspective. “What is important is to focus on the promising season ahead where vessels are expecting a 100% and above occupancy,” Ottley said. “This projection will increase activity in Philipsburg and throughout the island, boosting economic activity.”
While occupancy remained under 30% from January until March, figures rose to well over 100% on average in the last two months, some as high as 116%, said Port St. Maarten Group (PSG) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Alexander Gumbs.
The CEO considers the performance as a destination positive taking into consideration the various challenges that the cruise industry has been confronting during the past eight months after recovering from the ongoing pandemic.
The off season remains tough as most of the newer vessel’s transit to Europe for the summer months which are their off season, Gumbs said. “Many vessels, those older than twenty years, that sailed in the Caribbean during the summer months were sold or recycled. More than 25 ships were taken out of service which we are now feeling the effects as a seven-day itinerary destination.”
Due to industry concerns surrounding the pandemic, many cruise lines are still opting for shorter itineraries of four to five days.
“With the updates regarding onboard testing and the increased demand for cruising, we are working strategically to get as much business in the off-season,” Gumbs said…“We continue to monitor developments in the United States, especially where it concerns the U.S. economy, interests’ rates, and inflation, and how this will translate into cruise holidays to the Caribbean for the remainder of 2022 and for 2023 and beyond as well.”
St. Maarten is not yet out of the woods, Gumbs noted. “We are however confident that the industry will recover.”
Carnival Cruise Line recently reported that it has carried approximately three million cruise passengers since July 2021 onboard its 23-ship fleet. Carnival’s business update projected that its ships should reach nearly 110% occupancy this summer.
Carnival reported carrying two million passengers by the end of May and now is averaging about 95,000 guests per week as more people start to resume cruise holidays.
Since the cruise line restarted its operations in July 2021, the company has operated 1,104 voyages across its brands.
Royal Caribbean Group (RCG) has reported a better-than-expected performance that has been driven by accelerating and strong close-in demand for cruising. The cruise line returned its entire fleet to cruising in June.
RCG says they continue to see a robust and accelerating demand for cruising which saw for the second quarter of 2022 a vessel load factor in guests overall of 82%, with June sailing climbing to 90% for Caribbean itineraries averaging over 100%.
RCG adds that it expects overall vessel occupancy to climb up to 95% in Q.3 (July-August-September) and increase to triple digits by the end of 2022.
RCG says cruise bookings for 2023 have shown consistent improvements week over week and have been increasing over the past weeks.
