St Kitts and Nevis to provide berths for two Royal Caribbean vessels

St Kitts and Nevis Minister of Tourism Lindsay Grant: “We have taken all the necessary health and safety protocols to ensure that St Kitts and Nevis remains safe.”

The Federation of St Kitts and Nevis today outlined the process to be used for safely harboring two Royal Caribbean vessels this week. Minister of Tourism, Lindsay Grant, told a press conference that the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines reached out to the islands to harbor the Vision of the Seas and the Rhapsody of the Seas at Port Zante. Both cruise ships will arrive on August 19 with 70 crew members on each vessel.

According to the Minister, crew members will each be given an RT-PCR COVID-19 test upon arrival and quarantined for 14 days on their vessels. When all crew members receive a negative test at the end of their quarantine, they will be allowed to disembark while observing social distancing and mask-wearing safety measures. There are currently zero active cases of COVID-19 on the island.

“The health and the safety of our citizens, residents, and of our visitors remains our number one priority […] We have taken all the necessary health and safety protocols to ensure that St Kitts and Nevis remains safe,” the Minister said. “This assistance represents the true nature of our people to support others in a time of need,” he added.

Port Zante, financed partly by the country’s Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Program, allows the twin islands to host up to three of the largest ships in the world. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the islands welcomed one million cruise passengers for two consecutive years.

Foreign investors can obtain St Kitts and Nevis citizenship in exchange for an economic contribution. An Accelerated Application Process, can take 60 days or less.