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Basseterre, St. Kitts, July 23, 2021 (SKNIS): St. Kitts and Nevis successfully hosted the Seabourn Odyssey on Thursday, July 22, 2021, marking the official restart of cruise tourism after visits were suspended in early 2020 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

A cruise ship schedule from the Ministry of Tourism noted that seven additional ships are slated to call on St. Kitts between July 29 and August 26.

Chairman of the National COVID-19 Task Force, Abdias Samuel, said that the return of excursionists is part of the road map to economic recovery. He urged all stakeholders to be vigilant and to protect themselves from the deadly virus.

“I am asking all persons providing service in the sector to please adhere to the protocols and also we want to you to continue along the path of getting vaccinated as we also prepare for another [cruise ship] arrival within a week,” said Mr. Samuel at the July 21, National Emergency Operation Centre Briefing.

The next port of call in St. Kitts will be by the Celebrity Summit on July 29. This will be followed by the arrival of the Allure of the Seas on August 11; Celebrity Summit on August 12, and the Celebrity Equinox on August 24. The remaining schedule will see further calls by the Celebrity Summit and Allure of the Seas on August 25, and the Symphony of the Seas on August 26.

According to a release from the Ministry of Tourism, the minimum protocols for any cruise ship visiting St. Kitts and Nevis requires all crew and passengers over the age of 18 to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Persons under 18 years must present a negative RT-PCR Test within 72 hours of home-port embarkation. Only bubble tours will be permitted to limit the interaction between the public and visitors. All tours will leave the dispatch area within the secure perimeter and return.