Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has announced that they are adding 15 more port stops to St. Maarten in 2020, one of the most popular cruise ports in the Caribbean.
The additional port visits will be made by the newly Amplified Freedom of the Seas. The cruise ship is currently in dry dock receiving upgrades and will increase the number of cruise arrivals at the port by 68,000 guests this year.
Roger Lawrence, Senior Port St. Maarten Manager, gave the following statement: “For an innovative ship like Freedom of the Seas to expand its calls here translates into a significant investment in economic development and tourism jobs. We look forward to working with Royal Caribbean as we continue to improve the port infrastructure to benefit all of our key tourism stakeholders to sustainably build on the numbers of visitors who appreciate our leisure travel offerings.”
Traditionally, the St. Maarten vacation destination experiences its peak in visitor arrivals between December and March. Between May and December, there is a reduction in those visitor arrival numbers that impact the island’s tourism-based economy.
Additional Royal Caribbean guest arrivals during the May to December period help moderate the highs and lows of St. Maarten’s tourism season fluctuations.
Beginning in May 2020 and running through December 2020, St. Maarten tourism officials anticipate that Royal Caribbean vacationers on the newly amplified Freedom of the Seas will have a front row seat to take advantage of its beaches, snorkel and adventure experiences.
