MSC Cruises commits to Antigua despite boycott
As more cruise lines drop calls at Antigua, MSC Cruises says it is fully committed to the destination.
MSC said it is looking forward to the development of the new cruise port which will be able to accommodate much larger cruise ships.
A boycott of Antigua began first with Carnival Cruise lines and now other Carnival Corp brands Holland America Line and Seabourn will not call at the island.
It follows criticism of cruise lines by the Antigua PM who accused the industry of ‘exploiting’ the Caribbean.
It all started after Global Ports Holding (GPH) was awarded the contract for the new port development.
In a joint statement with GPH, MSC Cruises said it sees big growth potential with an expanded cruise port.
"We are happy to announce that we are exploring ways to support the growth of Antigua’s cruise traffic with our ships. Antigua is a port we have long been meaning to grow as a part of our regional deployment," said Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Cruises.
The Antigua government and Carnival Cruise Line are scheduled to meet this week in a bid to resolve their differences.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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