Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean Cruises have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Saint Lucian government to form a joint venture to manage the island’s existing cruise pier and terminal facilities, and to design, construct and operate a new cruise port.

As part of the agreement, the two cruise companies will work with the government to manage and operate the current cruise pier and terminal facilities at the Port of Castries.

The partnership will also see them design, finance, construct and operate a new cruise port in Vieux Fort on the southern part of the island that will be able to accommodate the latest and most innovative ships in the cruise industry.

“Saint Lucia has had record breaking cruise arrivals over the past few years and we thank our partners Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean for their continued confidence in our amazing destination,” said Prime Minister of Saint Lucia Allen Chastanet.

“This signing is historic, as this project will have a major impact on the sustainability of the cruise sector and the reach of cruise tourism to the south of the island. This will also mean employment at several phases of the project, the expansion of existing businesses and the formation of new enterprises.”

Senior vice-president of global port and destination development for Carnival Corporation, Giora Israel, said:”This is an exciting day for our guests who already love the beauty and deep culture of Saint Lucia and an important step in sustaining cruise tourism growth for the island.”

“We look forward to working closely with our JV partners to give cruise passengers great experiences when visiting the island. With the new development project, Saint Lucia will be very well-positioned for jobs and significant economic impact for years to come.”

Royal Caribbean’s president and CEO, Michael Bayley, added: “The cruise market is the fastest growing sector of tourism and in the next decade cruising in the Caribbean region is anticipated to increase by 40 per cent.”

“We are excited to partner with the government of Saint Lucia to ensure that the destination directly benefits from that growth, while giving more guests the opportunity to visit this unique gem in the Caribbean.”

Together, Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. currently account for 75 per cent of all cruise ship deployment to Saint Lucia.