ANTIGUA & BARBUDA TOURISM AUTHORITY

A view of Windstar cruise line's Wind Surf, anchored off Barbuda

ST.JOHN’S, ANTIGUA (November 26, 2018) – In another first for Barbuda, Antigua’s sister island, has welcomed luxury cruise line Windstar back to Barbuda; the first cruise line to return to the island following Hurricane Irma.

Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Officials celebrated the anchoring of Windstar’s Wind Surf, which comes less than one month after the re-opening of the luxurious Barbuda Belle boutique hotel.

Minister of Tourism & Investment, The Honourable Charles Fernandez said:  This is an extremely important milestone for Barbuda tourism as the island returns to normalcy.

“Windstar’s return is the result of a lot of lobbying by the Ministry of Tourism, The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority and our cruise partners who have been attending major cruise conferences since 2017, encouraging the smaller cruise lines to return to Barbuda. This is a vote of confidence in Barbuda, and the services and tours that will be available for guests of the ship to enjoy.”

The largest ship in the Windstar fleet, the Wind Surf is a five-masted motor-sail yacht that accommodates 310 guests. The Windstar website describes the ship “as being known for its casually elegant environment”.

Wind Surf will make nine calls to Barbuda this season, calling bi-weekly.

The Barbuda Council’s Chair of Tourism, Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs for the Barbuda Council Asha Frank was present at the Barbuda dock on Sunday November 25 to greet cruise executives from the vessel.

Frank said, “Small cruise lines such as the Windstar that offer a more personal and authentic experience are ideal for the picturesque shores of Barbuda. We welcome the Windstar and thank them for the huge support of our local businesses.”

Barbuda is being marketed as an eco-friendly, high-value, low volume destination, making it perfect for inclusion on the cruise itineraries of smaller luxury cruise lines.

Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, CEO Colin C. James, noted that, “As a result of the work done reassuring cruise lines that Barbuda is open for business, Barbuda will also see additional calls from other scheduled cruise ships as the season goes into high gear. This will act as a significant economic stimulus for Barbuda as passengers not only enjoy Barbuda’s beautiful beaches but explore the destination on tours to Barbuda’s fascinating sites such as the caves, the largest Frigate Bird Sanctuary in the Western hemisphere and the historic and unique Martello Towers.”  

For more information on Antigua and Barbuda, where the beach is just the beginning: www.visitantiguabarbuda.com