ANTIGUA & BARBUDA TOURISM AUTHORITY

On Saturday March 11, passengers and crew members had the unforgettable experience of meeting national hero and cricket legend Sir Vivian Richards who met with adoring fans along the pier and aboard the vessel. Sir Vivian said to guests during a tour of Arvia, “You’ve come to one of the best if not the best destination in the region.” The former West Indies player also handed Captain Paul Brown a signed cricket bat as a special token. Antigua Cruise Port’s General Manager Dona Regis- Prosper said, “We wanted to do something special for Arvia. We know the vessel has many passengers from countries who love Sir Viv, so it was only appropriate to ask him to grace us with his presence.”

Meanwhile, Minister of Tourism Charles Fernandez presented a plaque of appreciation to Captain Brown on behalf of Antigua Cruise Port.

Captain Brown has spoken highly of the homeporting operation in Antigua. He said, “The first one was great...and it’s just gotten better and better and we’ve seen improvements to the facilities that we’ve got here.” Four thousand, eight- hundred and fifty- nine passengers arrived aboard the vessel on Saturday with 864 disembarking and 878 getting onboard.   & O has shown how pleased they are by announcing another one of their vessels will come to Antigua for the next season. Arvia will return in November to homeport again as previously announced.

Mrs. Regis- Prosper said, “We thank everyone for the role they played in making the operations a success- the Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Authority, the Ministry of Tourism, the Antigua & Barbuda Airport Authority, The Immigration and Customs Departments, The Police Force and our sponsors.”

Emerald Cruises, Royal Clipper and SeaDream will also homeport in Antigua in the next cruise season.