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Basseterre, St. Kitts – April 30, 2025 — In what is now being seen as a major embarrassment for the government, St. Kitts and Nevis has fallen drastically short of its projected cruise arrivals, ending the 2024–2025 season with just 748,056 passengers—well below the hyped 1 million passenger mark confidently promised by Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew and Tourism Minister Hon. Marsha T. Henderson.

Just months ago, the SKNLP-led administration loudly declared that the Federation was on track to shatter records with over 1 million cruise visitors for the season. PM Drew posted triumphantly about meetings with cruise executives in Florida, while Minister Henderson described the upcoming numbers as a “historic milestone” and a “22% increase” over previous seasons.

But reality has hit hard.

According to official stats presented at the end of the season, the Federation welcomed 748,056 cruise passengers, up from the previous 690,244—but still a staggering 251,944 short of the one-million goal.

The shortfall has cast serious doubt on the credibility of the administration’s projections and performance.

In stark contrast, during the 2018 and 2019 pre-pandemic cruise seasons, under the Dr. Timothy Harris-led Team Unity Government and former Tourism Minister Hon. Lindsay Grant, St. Kitts and Nevis surpassed 1 million cruise arrivals in back-to-back years, earning global recognition and placing the destination in an elite category of Caribbean cruise ports.

The current administration’s failure to replicate or exceed that benchmark, despite boasting about “record growth,” exposes what critics are calling a pattern of “PR spin over performance.”

A tourism insider remarked, “You can’t cruise on press releases. Visitors need real infrastructure, planning, and partnerships. That’s what brought us past one million before—clearly missing this time around.”

While PM Drew and Minister Henderson tried to ride a wave of optimism at the start of the season, the latest numbers have left many questioning their leadership and ability to deliver results.

The buzzwords of “innovation,” “sustainability,” and “long-term strategy” now ring hollow in the face of undeniable numbers.

FACTS OVER FICTION:

• Projected Cruise Arrivals (2024–2025): Over 1,000,000
• Actual Cruise Arrivals: 748,056
• Shortfall: Over 250,000
• Previous Peak (2018–2019): 1,000,000+ under Team Unity Government

As the Federation reflects on another missed milestone, tourism stakeholders and citizens alike are left asking: When will the promises match the performance?