Carnival Cruise Line Returning to Antigua

After announcing that it would not sail to Antigua on upcoming sailings because of “recent developments” on the island, Carnival Cruise Line is set to return to Antigua after reaching an agreement with the government of Antigua.

“Carnival Corp. has reached an agreement with the government of Antigua to return to the island as a port of call for Caribbean itineraries,” a Carnival Corp. spokesperson told Travel Market Report. “As it relates to Carnival Cruise Line, port calls that were canceled will not be reinstated, but we look forward to our guests visiting Antigua with future announced itineraries.”

The agreement reached will give Carnival Corp. a foundation for its ships to call at Antigua for “many more years to come,” the Antigua and Barbuda government said in a statement.

It is not clear what issue drove Carnival to make the initial decision to pull out of Antigua, but a spokesperson told Travel Market Report at the time that the company was “clearly concerned about the direction the government of Antigua has taken in regards to its port, and we have discussions underway with the government to see if we can resolve the issues.”

According to a statement last week by Antigua and the Barbuda government, the issue was resolved after dialogue between the two parties allowed Antigua and Barbuda to “fully understand and acknowledge the misunderstandings of the past.”

“The brands of Carnival Corporation have been partners with Antigua for many years,” Charles Fernandez, the minister of tourism, economic development, and investments, for Antigua and Barbuda, said in a statement, noting that Carnival Corp. had contributed about $48 million to the Antiguan economy over the past five years.

“Certainly, we appreciate and respect their desire to provide a great experience and value to their guests visiting Antigua.”

Related Articles

Carnival Cruise Line Will Skip All Antigua Calls