Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica

11/15/2021 | News release | Distributed by Public on 11/15/2021 15:10

MV ENCHANTED PRINCESS MAKES INAUGURAL CALL TO DOMINICA

The MV Enchanted Princess cruise ship made its inaugural call to Dominica on Sunday November 14, 2021, at the Dame Eugenia Charles Boulevard Cruise Ship Berth.

The MV Enchanted Princess is marked as the third inaugural call to visit the island since the official opening of Dominica's 2021/2022 cruise season in October.

The cruise call brought over nine hundred and thirty nine passengers into the country, of which five hundred and twenty were scheduled for tours.

Minister for Tourism, International Transport and Maritime Initiatives, Hon. Denise Charles stated that she is pleased to welcome Enchanted Princess of Princess Cruise lines to Dominica, adding that this season, Dominica will see an additional nine calls from the Enchanted Princess.

"We look forward to welcoming your passengers and crew for the next nine cruise calls to our beautiful nature island. We hope by next year there would be a lot more cruise calls to Dominica. We have experienced a long and fruitful partnership with Princess Cruises since is ships began calling to our shores in the mid-1990s and we look forward to strengthening this partnership with future calls from the Princess Cruise line. We are sure that your passengers will be delighted by the wonderful sights, sounds and experiences of Dominica," Hon. Charles stated.

Chief Executive Officer of the Dominica Air and Sea Port Authority (DASPA), Mr. Benoit Bardouille welcomed the ship to Dominica noting that the inclusion of Dominica on the itinerary is significant to the Ministry.

"We know that it has been challenging for all of us both on land and sea and we had to be able to put in all of these new protocols and all of these things that we needed to change to restart the industry. But also the confidence placed in Dominica, to be put as part of the itinerary, is also significant for us in Dominica and also for the Ministry of Tourism," Mr. Bardouille stated.

Mr. Bardouille went on to say that they are happy to be back in the cruse season, even with the changes that had to be made to ensure the safety of all.

"We know that it has been very difficult for the ships, having to make the changes, having to conform to the Centre of Disease Control (CDC) regulations; we too also having to meet the WHO, CARPHA, and a number of the other agencies in terms of putting in the new protocols. But we are happy to be able to begin the process once again and we feel very, very good about it," Mr. Bardouille added.

Mr. Bardouille also reassured the public that the Ministry Of Tourism and its stakeholders are charting the way forward to further develop the cruise industry.

"In terms of Dominica, we are preparing for better things to come and we are in fact beginning the process of redeveloping plans for a brand new cruise ship fare. And these are things that will come on stream lo ensure that as you bring the ships like Enchanted Princess and others from the Princess Cruise Line fleet that we will be able to easily accommodate them; and not only accommodate the vessels alongside the port but also present to you a new brand in terms of what our industry has in terms of improving guest experience," Mr. Bardouille added.

Captain of the MV Enchanted Princess Cruise, Mr. Gennaro Arma is pleased to have set sails to Dominica on their new ship.

"We were really looking forward to opening up the season, and especially in the Caribbean region, which is region we have been cruising for many, many years. I was here for my first time in Dominica twenty-five years, and since then I have been in love with the place. The guests really love the diversity of your island which is very unique. So I am really honoured to be back here and thank you for this warm welcome," Captain Arma stated.

The Government of Dominica continues to invest heavily in the Tourism industry. Discussions are being held for the development of the cruise ports as Government continues to work towards their vision of welcoming over one million cruise passengers to Dominica.