Antigua and Barbuda has officially unveiled a state-of-the-art cruise terminal as part of a US$60 million upland development project, marking what officials describe as a transformative moment for the nation’s cruise tourism sector.

The purpose-built facility, which debuted with a partial turnaround for P&O Cruises’ Arvia vessel, signifies the completion of Phase 1 of the ambitious development project funded by Global Ports Holding. Gasper George, General Manager of Antigua Cruise Ports, noted that this milestone coincides with the one-year anniversary of the groundbreaking ceremony at the site.

“Seventeen days from today will mark one year since we gathered on this very site for the groundbreaking ceremony of the upland development project. Today, we remain, and we return with purpose and pride to officially hand over the cruise terminal, marking the completion of Phase 1 of this transformation project,” George stated during Thursday’s unveiling ceremony.

Lancelot Arnold, Director of the Eastern Caribbean at Global Ports Holding, emphasized the scale of the company’s commitment to Antigua and Barbuda.

(photo by Wayne Mariette)

“It forms part of a US sixty-million-dollar investment by Global Ports Holding, an investment grounded in confidence in Antigua and Barbuda, its people, its leadership, and its place within the global cruise industry,” Arnold said.

The terminal, encompassing over 10,000 square feet, supersedes the prior facilities utilized for turnaround operations in the 2023 and 2024 cruise seasons.

Global Ports Holding Chairman Mehmet Kutman, who recently became an Antiguan citizen, outlined an ambitious completion timeline for the remaining phases of the project, which will include retail spaces, dining facilities, and a day club with a pool.

“This development, I asked our construction team, will be finished by July twenty-twenty-six. They have confirmed me. So let’s give them another three months for a grand opening. At the same time, we’ll open another venue, which I can’t disclose right now, hopefully again by November of twenty twenty-six,” Kutman announced.

The investment represents part of a broader public-private partnership between Global Ports Holding and the government of Antigua and Barbuda that began in 2019. Under the arrangement, GPH provides capital and expertise while the government offers supporting concessions and land for development.

The facility is already operational and is expected to position Antigua and Barbuda as a leading homeporting destination in the Caribbean cruise market, with the country projected to welcome approximately one million cruise passengers this year.