Saint Lucia’s new cruise season is approaching, but some key upgrades for arriving passengers will not be ready when it begins.
Tourism Minister Dr Ernest Hilaire openly admitted this at Monday’s pre-Cabinet press briefing, saying that work on the Castries waterfront will continue during the season.
The cruise season usually begins to pick up around mid-October, and earlier plans pointed to key works being completed in time for the 2026/2027 season. In April, Saint Lucia Cruise Port said the second phase of the Vendors Arcade redevelopment was expected to be completed by October.
“It won’t be ready, to be honest with you. Our big season will really be next season,” Hilaire said.
Hilaire pointed mainly to difficulties getting materials into Saint Lucia, saying supply chain challenges have slowed work not only in Castries but also on the cruise-related development in Soufrière.
“I was hoping this year we’d have a big, you know, proclamation of how we’ve upgraded everything. It won’t happen,” he said. “More than likely, next year, we should be in a position to boast.”
The Castries works are part of a much larger redevelopment led by Global Ports Holding (GPH), which took over management of Saint Lucia’s cruise port operations in April 2024 under a long-term agreement with the Government.
The project includes a new Vendors Arcade, a Fishermen’s Village at Banannes Bay, upgrades to cruise berths and a boardwalk to better connect the port with the city. The Government initially announced the project as a $135 million investment in the island’s cruise infrastructure.
Hilaire said he hopes that by the end of this cruise season, there will be visible progress, including the opening of facilities at Banannes, along the waterfront and at the Vendors Arcade.
The unfinished works also raise questions about what the experience will be like for passengers arriving while parts of the redevelopment are still closed.
When asked by St Lucia Times if this could affect Saint Lucia’s ability to attract its usual cruise lines, Hilaire said things would become clearer as cruise schedules are finalised. He noted that some ships were still adjusting their itineraries.
But for the Tourism Minister, the main benefits are now expected a year from now.
Hilaire expects that by this time next year, the Castries redevelopment and other tourism projects will be much further along, giving Saint Lucia a stronger offering for cruise lines and passengers.
For now, the island will start the new cruise season with some of its new attractions still to come on stream.
