Gusty winds prevent Grand Princess from berthing, over 10,000 cruise passengers visited so far this week

Silver Cloud (at Deep Water Port), Ventura (left) and Celebrity Equinox in port on Tuesday 11th January 2011 (photo by Erasmus Williams)

ST. KITTS, JANUARY 12TH 2011 (CUOPM) – Gusty winds prevented the 2,600-passenger Grand Princess from berthing at Port Zante on Wednesday.

“The captain decided to abort docking after gusty winds clocking over 40 knots were recorded on approach,” an official of the ship’s agents, Delisle Walwyn and Co., Ltd told the Communications Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister (CUOPM) on Wednesday morning.

He said the ship will instead spend the day at sea and cruise to St. Vincent its next port of call on Thursday.

The Grand Princess was one of two ships scheduled to visit on Wednesday. The 228-passenger Royal Clipper is anchored off Frigate Bay.

On Tuesday, three cruise ships with 6,133 passengers were in Basseterre, bringing the number of passengers visiting St. Kitts for the week to 10,149.

The 2,850-passenger Celebrity Equinox arrived from St. Thomas with 2,811 passengers and a crew of 1231 and later sailed for Barbados. The 3,100-passenger Ventura docked at Port Zante from St. Maarten with 3.051 passengers and a crew of 1210 and later sailed for Dominica.

The 296-passenger Silver Cloud which arrived from St. Barth’s with 271 passengers and a crew of 225, departed late afternoon for French St. Martin.

On Monday, the 2,038-passenger Celebrity Summitt arrived from St. Croix with 2,085 passengers and later sailed for Dominica.

The 1,896-passenger Celebrity Mercury berth on Sunday with 1,837 passengers, while the Sea Cloud anchored with 94 passengers.