Last month, Cruise Fever reported that several cruise lines including Carnival Cruise Line had canceled all port calls to Antigua.
After a meeting this past week between the government officials of Antigua and Barbuda and executives at Carnival Corporation, an agreement is now in place to reinstate the port stops that were canceled.
Three cruise lines from Carnival Corporation canceled the port calls in Antigua after the company stated that government officials have made the cruise lines feel unwelcome.
Carnival Cruise Line currently has four cruise ships scheduled to visit Antigua in the coming year: Carnival Breeze, Carnival Magic, Carnival Legend, and Carnival Pride.
Charles Fernandez, Minister of Tourism for Antigua and Barbuda, gave the following statement: “The brands of Carnival Corporation have been partners with Antigua for many years and have contributed approximately US$48 million to the Antiguan economy over the past five years. Certainly, we appreciate and respect their desire to provide a great experience and value to their guests visiting Antigua.”
He went on to say that the island is investing another $90 million in upgrades to the port. This is on top of the $110 million already invested in cruise facilities.
