Valiant Lady, a Virgin Voyage ship, docked at the Ann E. Abramson Marine Facility in Frederiksted, St. Croix (the Frederiksted Pier) on Wed. Nov. 9, 2022. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS PORT AUTHORITY
The V.I. Port Authority has announced that for the second time this week, St. Croix received an inaugural cruise ship call.
Virgin Voyage’s Valiant Lady made its first call to the Frederiksted Pier Wednesday, VIPA said. St. Croix Administrator Samuel Sanes, Assistant Touism Commissioner Elizabeth Hansen-Wattley, VIPA Acting Assistant Executive Director Bill Rawlins and Marine Manger Mervyn Constantine extended a warm Crucian welcome to Captain Aris Medina Morales and his guests at a plaque exchange ceremony.
From left to right: Dept. of Tourism Asst. Commissioner Elizabeth Hansen-Wattley, VIPA Acting Assistant Executive Director Bill Rawlins, Valiant Lady Captain Aris Medina Morale, VIPA Marine Manager for St. Croix Marvyn Constantine, St. Croix Administrator Sammuel Sanes, and Ship Agent James Eugene.(Credit: VIPA)
The Valiant Lady will return to St. Croix several more times this season, VIPA said.
The Valiant Lady is from Virgin Voyage and is untied from VIPA's agreement with Royal Caribbean that promises 140,000 passengers to St. Croix from November through end of 2023. This means the island will see thousands more passengers on top of the VIPA/Royal Caribbean agreement, according to VIPA Executive Director Carlton Dowe.
"Any other lines coming are additional visits to St. Croix," Mr. Dowe said. "We have made it abundantly clear that the Virgin Islands, and St. Croix in particular, is open up to hosting more vessels and we welcome Virgin Cruises, and Valiant Lady's first arrival in the territory is on St. Croix," added the executive director, who said VIPA is constantly working to increase calls to the territory.
Mr. Dowe said Wednesday's cruise ship visit to St. Croix was the island's third since Monday, which hasn't happened in years.
Valiant Lady will return on November 23 to St. Croix, which will also be the first two-ship day of the season. Cruise schedules are posted on VIPA's website: https://www.viport.com/schedule-seaports
