2006 Brings in Over 38,000 More Cruise Travelers & 2007 Boasts Construction of Brand-New Cruise Terminal, New Ships Calling Port on the Island &More

Aruba’s a hit on the high seas in 2006, as the island exceeded expectations and welcomed an impressive 314 cruise ships with a total of 591,474 ocean-loving mateys. The notable seven percent increase of cruise calls over 2005 represents a noteworthy 38,655 additional visitors. The top cruise line, Royal Caribbean, brought a total of 201,433 beach-bound passengers to Aruba. Carnival Cruise Line’s 1321-room Destiny was the island’s top producing cruise ship, bringing 155,808 sun-seekers to the Caribbean oasis. In 2007, Aruba is poised to see even more growth in its cruise industry as major renovations are already underway at one of the three cruise terminals and the island is expecting nearly ten new cruise ships to call port this year.

Aruba’s cruise business has experienced a major boom over the past decade. Year-to-date numbers comparing 1996 to 2006 indicate that the island has seen a 15% increase of port calls and an astonishing 86.7% spike in the number of cruise visitors. Aruba’s annual cruise high season runs from October to December and last year the island recorded an increase of nearly 12,500 passengers over 2005, representing a six percent growth. Combined, these three months saw 127 port calls and over 206,179 visitors, with December being the strongest month bringing in 51 ships and 34,882 travelers to the island.

“The cruise industry is an extremely important one for Aruba and we are happy to see demand for the island as a cruise call continuing to rise significantly,” said Minister of Tourism and Transportation, Edison Briesen. “The notable developments at our port and ship facilities in 2007 is indicative of our dedication to the cruise business and its passengers.”

2007 is already looking to be a strong year for the cruise industry in Aruba, as eight new ships are expected to visit the port of Oranjestad, including Carnival Cruises Line’s Elation, Princess Cruise Line’s Island Princess and Emerald Princess. Additionally, throughout 2007 Aruba will continue to pour millions of dollars into major renovations to the island’s tourism product which includes construction of a new state-of-the-art cruise terminal, cargo and loading docks being moved from Oranjestad to Barcadera and much more.

“We are extremely pleased with the success that the destination and its ports are experiencing,” said Managing Director for the Aruba Tourism Authority, Myrna Jansen. “We anticipate the new cruise terminal, coupled with the major investments being poured into our tourism product as a whole, will continue to let us have the competitive edge in the Caribbean region allowing us to maintain the highest repeat visitor rate in the Caribbean at 40%.”