Castries – Saturday, January 11, 2014 – A delegation from The Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority (SLASPA) were among other local delegates, welcoming the captain and crew of the biggest ship to have entered the harbor, the Norwegian Breakaway, as it made its inaugural call at Port Castries bringing in 4,029 passengers.  In addition to passengers the vessel also brought in 1,665 crew members over 60 of them being St. Lucian nationals.

SLASPA’s Senior Marine Pilot Kwen James and other port side staff were among those commended by Captain Hakan Svendung for the efficient service provided as the vessel sailed into Port Castries. In delivering brief remarks of behalf of SLASPA, Director of Marketing and Product Development of the Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority, Ms. Dona Regis, thanked the captain for his kind remarks regarding the Authority’s pilot’s ease of maneuvering a ship of that size within the harbor and also for choosing Saint Lucia as part of the itinerary.

The delegates also comprised of representatives from the Ministry of Tourism, Heritage and Creative Industries, Invest Saint Lucia and the ship agents who were taken on a tour of the ship which allowed for a healthy exchange between crew and the local contingent.

The 1,063.3 feet Norwegian Breakaway has been named by Cruise Critics editors as the “Best New Ship” and offers Broadway performances along with 29 dining options. The ship has a passenger capacity of 3,969 passengers and crew of 1,651. This is the first of two calls scheduled for Port Castries during the 2013-2014 cruise season.