Tourism officials and representatives in Antigua welcomed Captain Justin Lawes and his crew aboard their vessel at Heritage Quay today Thursday.

The guests included Minister of Tourism Charles Fernandez, Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Authority Chief Executive Officer Colin James, and Antigua Cruise Port Officer-in-Charge Cynthia Jacobs-Browne.

During the reception, the attendees exchanged pleasantries and plaques with the captain, commemorating his ship’s visit to Antigua.

Mrs. Jacobs-Browne expressed her delight and said, “We are thrilled to welcome you to Antigua. The country has great respect for the Virgin Group, and to receive our first vessel from Virgin Voyages is a testament to our strong relationship.”

Antigua Cruise Port has had a remarkable start to the year with several significant events already taking place.

On January 13th, Arvia had its first turnaround call of the year, and the next day, on January 14th, SeaDream II had its first homeporting operation with the company at the Nevis Street Pier.

This January, the company is experiencing its busiest month yet with 42 calls and 91,706 cruise passengers having visited the island by January 18th.

The month will close with 76 calls, and it is expected that over a hundred thousand tourists will have visited Antigua by the end of the month.