The West Indian Company Ltd. (WICO) will host Capt. Andrea Catalani and the crew of Carnival Celebration, Carnival Cruise Line’s new flagship, at a welcome ceremony at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 16, at the WICO Dock.
Government officials, USVI cruise industry stakeholders and WICO executives will exchange plaques and locally-branded gifts with the captain to commemorate the occasion.
“Carnival Celebration is one of at least five new cruise ships expected to make inaugural calls to St. Thomas and berth at the WICO Dock this cruise season,” said WICO President and CEO Anthony A. Ottley.
“New ship construction, delivery and launches were delayed for the past two years. Now cruise ports around the world are benefitting from almost every line having new ships entering service. As always, we are pleased that the U.S. Virgin Islands is included on their itineraries,” Ottley said.
Built in 2022 at Finland’s Meyer Turku shipyard at a cost of $1 billion, Carnival Celebration is the namesake of the original Celebration. She is the cruise line’s largest ship, making Carnival Celebration the line’s flagship. Approximately 1,130 feet long and 19 decks high, she is powered by LNG fuel. She is the second Excel ship, a subclass of the line’s Excellence class.
Carnival Celebration can accommodate 5,374 passengers and 1,735 crew.
