Last Updated on February 19, 2025, 8:02 AM AST by Anthony Morris
St Kitts and Nevis has welcomed thousands of cruise ship passengers at Port Zante on Tuesday, February 18th, 2025. The passengers were boarding three cruise ships – Viking Sea, Arvia, and AIDA Luna.
The large number of passengers arriving in St Kitts and Nevis has helped boost tourism sector, while profiting hotels, local vendors, small businesses, taxi operators, and tour guides, and has led to an increase in the nation’s overall economy.
Viking Sea
Viking Sea is a cruise ship, built by Italian shipbuilders and is operated by Viking Ocean Cruises. It is the second ship to grace the name Viking Sea, the first being Viking Sky which was originally assigned this name.
Viking Sea is the third largest vessel in London and has three sister ships, Viking Star, Viking Sky, and Viking Sun.
It has a total of ten decks, with a capacity to hold 930 passengers, along with 550 crew members.
Arvia
Arvia is an Excellence-class cruise ship, operated by P&O Cruises and was built by German shipbuilders. Arvia is the largest ship in the British cruise market with 184,700 gross tonnage.
Arvia’s normal operating capacity is 5,200 passengers, although her maximum capacity is 6,264 passengers. It has a total of 1,800 crew members currently working to manage the cruise ship.
AIDA Luna
AIDA Luna is a Sphinx-class cruise ship, owned by Carnival Corp and is operated by AIDA Cruises. It was built in Papen burg, Germany and is the third ship of her class. The ship has four sister ships – AIDA Diva, AIDA Bella, AIDA Sol, and AIDA Mar.
AIDA Luna has a capacity of 2,100 passengers and 607 crew members, with a gross tonnage of 69,203.
St Kitts and Nevis: Travelers first choice
With the arrival of thousands each day, the twin island nation has become travelers first choice. The passengers that arrived in the twin island nation were seen touring on Safaris and buses, enjoying historic landmarks and natural scenic view while some were walking around the streets of Basseterre, enjoying the taste of local cuisines and beverages.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
