A new vessel will officially begin serving the island with the inaugural visit of the HSC “Ruby Express” to Port Castries on Tuesday.
Part of the L’ Express des Îles fleet, the ferry made a test visit to the island in August and will now officially begin voyages throughout the region.
The vessel can carry 428 passengers and hold up to 50 cars and 4 buses. Like its sister vessels, the Ruby Express will connect the Creole and French-speaking territories in the region, namely Saint Lucia, Martinique, Guadeloupe, and Dominica.
Plans to connect this high-speed vessel to other territories in the Caribbean are underway.
L’Express des Îles, which has been operational in Saint Lucia since 1994, was recently acquired by the German-based international ferry company Förde Reederei Seetouristik (FRS).
According to the FRS website, the acquisition is part of the company’s “focus on diversifying the range of offered routes.”
“This acquisition not only reflects our commitment to international expansion but also our determination to gain a foothold in new markets,” said company CEO Götz Becker in an official statement.
L’ Express des Îles believes the new vessel should help address the long-standing issues associated with regional travel. Tourism officials are also optimistic that it will contribute to the ongoing rebound of the island’s cash cow industry in the post-COVID era.
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