Antigua Cruise Port confirmed that an Emerald Cruises-owned luxury yacht will homeport in Antigua next year.
Emerald Azzurra will commence full turnaround calls at Port St John's from November 2023.
Emerald Sakara will also start transit calls on both Antigua and Barbuda in January 2024.
According to Dona Regis-Prosper, General Manager, serving as a homeport had been one of their main strategic objectives since they had begun managing Antigua Cruise Port in 2019, so they were extremely excited about the partnership.
She added that taking the leap with Emerald Cruises made it that much more satisfying since their tourism product offering paired well with the desires of luxury yacht clientele. The partnership had been 2 years in the making, so they were grateful to them for their willingness to try something new. The collaboration gave Antigua & Barbuda a huge advantage when promoting the destination as a luxury cruise partner.
“In recent years, we have worked very closely with the Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Authority to strategically promote the country as the Caribbean luxury destination of choice. To this end, we have meticulously coordinated every element of the homeporting experience, from provisioning to hotel partnerships, to airport movements and transfers. We will give passengers a seamless and enjoyable experience from start to finish.”
Mark Robinson (Emerald's VP of Cruise Operations) shared the team’s enthusiasm about the collaboration.
He said they were delighted to offer their passengers “double the pleasure” by offering 2 homeport stops in the islands of Antigua & Barbuda next year.
"The depth of experiences that await them in this pristine destination have certainly expanded lately, and we are especially pleased to add new adventures to our Caribbean itineraries. We are always looking for what’s new and next, and Antigua & Barbuda is at the center of the future of Caribbean cruising.”