Cruise results 2006 and
outlook positive for ARUBA
Oranjestad
16 January 2007 – The Executive Director of Aruba Cruise Tourism (ACT), Mrs.
Kathleen Rojer shares that the cruise tourism for Aruba during 2006 boomed with
an impressive arrival of 591,474 cruise passengers with 314 calls.
Comparative
analysis 2006 vs. 2005:
Figures
indicated that during 2005 a total of 552,819 cruise passengers were recorded
in comparison with 2006, with a total of 591,474, resulting in an increase of
38,655 cruise passengers, equal to an increase of 7%.
Top
cruise line for 2006:
The
top cruise line producer for Aruba during the year 2006, who brought more
passengers, was Royal Caribbean Cruise Line with a total of 201,433 cruise
passengers. Figures exclude Celebrity Cruises and Pullmantur Cruises.
Top
cruise ship for 2006:
The
Destiny with a total of 155,808 cruise passengers was the top producer for
Aruba during calendar year 2006.
Analysis
over first three months of the cruise high season:
It
is remarkable that over the first three months of the cruise high season,
namely October, November, and December, that Aruba recorded a strong presence
in cruise clientele. Over the said period 2005Aruba welcomed 193,681 cruise
passengers, while over the same period 2006, Aruba welcomed 206,179 cruise
passengers, indicating by fact, an increase of 12,498 cruise passengers.
Comparative
analysis 2006 vs 1996 (ten year –period):
The
cruise tourism development shows another significant data, where in 1996 a
total of 273 calls and 316,749 cruise passengers were recorded.
After
ten years, a total of 314 calls and 591,474 cruise passengers were recorded,
resulting in an increase of 15% and 86.7%, respectively.
Outlook
for 2007:
The
expectations for 2007 look healthy and continuous, where a total of 310 calls
are to be expected with over half a million-cruise guests.
Mrs.
Rojer expresses:” This means that Aruba has a prolonged guarantee cruise
tourism flow that will continue to visit our island.” “Cruise guests are
expressing their joy of being able to visit the southern Caribbean Dutch
island, Aruba, where they feel safe, comfortable and where they can shop for
real quality top of the line merchandise.”
For
2007 a total of 8 new ships are expected to visit the port of Oranjestad, Aruba
while the other cruise ships are happy repeat-business.
Aruba
welcomed for the first time Minerva II in January and will welcome first-timers
Albatross in April, Holiday Dream and Elation in May, Island Princess in
October, Emerald Princess and AidaVita in November, and Sea Cloud on December
15 2007.
Cruise
promotion:
Together
with the upbeat enthusiasm that the ACT PR Cruise Greeters welcome the
disembarking cruise guests, an enhanced new “Aruba Days” book with Aruba
information, on what to do, where to go, maps, and coupons, and our upgraded
“welcome Back” program Free refrigerator clip, one of its kind, are being
distributed to our valuable cruise clientele.
Mrs. Rojer thanks all who contributed and continues to support this lovely island, Aruba, only the best. For more information, please visit our web site www.ArubaByCruise.com click on News, Calendar of Events, Info. About Aruba, just to mention a few…