PORT ST. MAARTEN – In a significant development for St. Maarten’s cruise tourism sector, senior executives from Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) recently met with Port St. Maarten Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Alexander Gumbs and Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport & Telecommunication (TEATT), Grisha Heyliger-Marten.
The meeting focused on deepening the collaboration between NCL and Port St. Maarten, aiming to increase passenger arrivals and services.
Representing NCL were Juan Kuryla, Senior Vice President of Port Development and Construction Management, and Matthew Weintraub, Director Port Development, who expressed the company’s interest in increasing cruise calls to St. Maarten.
NCL shared insights into their upcoming fleet expansion plans, including the debut of NCL Aqua just this month and highlighting a new class of vessels set to debut soon. This initiative aligns with Port St. Maarten’s goals to diversify its cruise offerings and enhance passenger experiences.
Minister Heyliger-Marten expressed enthusiasm about the growth prospective, stating that Port St. Maarten’s role as a testing ground for NCL’s new initiatives presents a significant opportunity to boost the island’s cruise tourism sector.
Gumbs noted that discussions commenced during the FCCA conference hosted in St. Maarten in October 2024 and thereafter follow-up ongoing engagements with NCL have paved the way for this potential collaboration.
Gumbs emphasized the potential economic benefits, citing current average passenger expenditures of $161 and crew expenditures of $117.
Strategically this also fits within the framework of improving the off-season months between May and October while improving berth occupancy during the high season, particularly on Fridays through Monday.
Typically, Tuesdays through Thursdays are the busiest days during the high season.
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