Marella Discovery, VIPA and Tourism officials at a welcoming ceremony for the cruise ship's maiden voyage to St. Croix on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS PORT AUTHORITY
The latest in a string of inaugural cruise ship calls sailed into the port of Frederiksted on Monday, underscoring the vibrancy of the territory’s 2022-2023 cruise ship season.
The Marella Discovery brought 1756 guests and 737 crew members to St. Croix, where they were welcomed by officials from the V.I. Port Authority and the V.I. Department of Tourism, including VIPA Chair Willard John, Executive Director Carlton Dowe, and DOT Assistant Commissioner Elizabeth Hansen-Wattley.
The Discovery, which was formerly part of the Royal Caribbean International fleet of Vision-class cruise ships, was launched in 1995 and features, according to a VIPA release, “11 decks, a seven-story lobby, a rock-climbing wall, and a 9-hole miniature golf course.”
The arrival of the ship, which has a maximum capacity of 1830 passengers and 750 crew members, “marks the third inaugural cruise ship visit” this season, says VIPA. The agency also notes that it is looking forward to even more first-time port calls to St. Croix.
One of the SeaDream Yacht Club’s ships will be docking in Christiansted for the first time on March 27, with the Ritz Carlton Evrima making its inaugural call to Frederiksted in April.
