Viking Sea brings first cruise tourists to St. Maarten
PHILIPSBURG – The luxury cruise liner Viking Sea docked at the port in Philipsburg on Monday morning at 7 a.m. – the first cruise vessel to arrive at St. Maarten after Hurricane Irma destroyed the island on September 6.
There was no fanfare on the cruise pier to receive Viking Sea; no steel pan band, there were no government or tourist bureau representatives in sight. From the top of the hill in Pointe Blanche that overlooks the port, a female security guard expressed her happiness with the arrival of the Viking Sea. It almost felt like a new beginning for St. Maarten.
On the Boardwalk, entrepreneurs were up bright and early to prepare for the arrival of the first cruise passengers. Holland House was open for business and small bars opened their doors early. Beach chairs and umbrellas were set up on Great Bay Beach, while elsewhere, in front of the Pasanggrahan Royal Guesthouse, an excavator leveled the ground for the construction of market stalls.
In front of the Captain Hodge Wharf, cab driver Sandra was eagerly awaiting the arrival of the first customers. But when the first tender boat arrived, it carried just two cruise passengers, an elderly American couple – and they did not immediately need wheels.
The Americans said that they had visited St. Maarten many times. Their plan for the day was to take a walk around Front Street and then make a tour of the island. As they made their way into town, a soft rain started to fall.
Viking Sea is a luxury cruise liner that carries just 930 passengers. The vessel was built in 2016 for Viking Ocean Cruises and it sails under Norwegian flag.
See the Port St. Maarten press release for more information.
Top photo caption: A historic moment: the Viking Sea docks at the port in Philipsburg on Monday morning at 7 a.m. Photo Hilbert Haar.
Photo caption: The first cruise tourists walk into town on Monday morning shortly after 9 a.m. Photo Hilbert Haar.
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