Tourism

St. Croix Welcomes First Cruise Ship 18 Months After a CDC No Sail Order

ST. CROIX — After eighteen months of seeing no cruise ship activity at the Ann E. Abramson Marine Facility in Frederiksted because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the V.I. Port Authority welcomed Royal Caribbean's Celebrity Equinox, which docked with almost 3,500 passengers and crew  Wednesday morning. The arrival of the ship, which included a 97 percent vaccination rate, was an important indication of renewed cruise tourism traffic to St. Croix, which was already a struggling product on the big island as the bulk of cruise ships to the territory have historically docked in St. Thomas. VIPA Executive Director Carlton Dowe and his team organized a small welcome ceremony where gifts were presented to the ship's captain. Also present were Senate President Novelle Francis, Gov't House Communications Director Richard Motta on behalf of the governor, and Senator Kenneth Gittens. V.I. Dept. of Tourism representatives, among them Deputy Commissioner Neelia Ross and Asst. Commissioner Elizabeth Wa...