Carnival Corp and Royal Caribbean Cruises have signed an MOU with the government of Saint Lucia.
The aim of the MoU is to form a joint venture to manage the island’s existing cruise pier and terminal facilities at the Port of Castries and to design, construct and operate a new cruise port in Vieux Fort.
“St Lucia has had record breaking cruise arrivals over the past few years, and we thank our partners Carnival Corp and Royal Caribbean for their continued confidence in our amazing destination,” said island Prime Minister, Allen Chastanet. “It is essential that we continue to diversify what we have to offer, grow our brand and ensure that different sectors in our island’s economy benefit from the growth in cruise tourism and that St Lucians can benefit from the opportunities which arise from the increased numbers; which means we have to improve our capacity.”
In the next decade, cruising in the Caribbean region is anticipated to increase by 40%. Together, Carnival Corp and Royal Caribbean Cruises brands currently account for 75% of all cruise ship deployments to St Lucia.