Cruise ship “Celebrity Millennium” at Port St. Maarten on Wednesday.
PHILIPSBURG--Cruise ship Celebrity Millennium arrived at Port St. Maarten on Tuesday as the port and other local stakeholders make the final preparations to begin homeporting the vessel on Saturday, June 5.
Port St. Maarten said it had upgraded the Homeport Terminal recently, moving from a temporary facility to a hybrid structure with strengthened concrete walls. This would allow the terminal to be rebuilt in as little as a week following a hurricane strike, the port said.
The upgraded terminal is air-conditioned with approximately 1,500 square metres of space. There are 12 check-in counters and a luggage screening machine, as well as a bar, restaurant, and a VIP section that seats up to 80 passengers. There is also free WiFi.
The lobby area can accommodate 600 passengers, there is parking for 60 vehicles and a “line-up zone” for taxis that has direct access to the main entrance.
The port has recently issued a call for local artists to paint murals in the area.
“There was a lot of planning, support and collaboration between many in order to see this to fruition. We say ‘thank you’ to everybody who assisted, and we are now looking forward to a successful cruise homeporting operation during the coming weeks,” Port St. Maarten said on Wednesday.
Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Ludmila de Weever said last week that the homeporting agreement can bring in as much as US $52 million for the country’s economy in 14 weeks, based on an economic impact study drawn up by her ministry.
