Saint Kitts and Nevis has started construction work on a new cruise terminal at Port Zante, advancing a plan to launch cruise home-porting operations from Basseterre in November 2027, according to the Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
The New Cruise Terminal Development Project is being carried out through the St. Christopher Air & Sea Ports Authority (SCASPA).
The terminal is intended to allow passengers to start and end cruise holidays in Saint Kitts, rather than use the island only as a port of call. The government expects home-porting to increase visitor spending, overnight hotel demand, airlift demand and business for the local tourism sector.
The terminal is planned with modern passenger processing, advanced security and baggage screening systems, and enhanced immigration technology.
Tourism Minister Marsha Henderson said Saint Kitts and Nevis is seeking to become a cruise transit port alongside Antigua and Barbados. “This new cruise terminal represents vision, partnership, innovation and confidence in the future of Saint Kitts and Nevis as one of the Caribbean’s premier cruise destinations,” Henderson said.
Home-porting preparations remain on schedule for November 2027. Henderson said P&O Cruises had advised that bookings for cruises departing from Saint Kitts were progressing well, while regional and local travel advisor sales programmes were still being finalised.
P&O Cruises’ winter 2027/28 programme includes Arvia and Iona on 14-night Caribbean fly-cruises from Barbados, Antigua and St Kitts. One Arvia sailing is scheduled to operate round-trip from Basseterre from 8 November to 22 November 2027.