Basseterre, St. Kitts, December 07, 2016 (SKNIS): Arriving on the cruise ship, Celebrity Eclipse at Port Zante, Santa and his elves came and made their way to the Independence Square today (December 07) to distribute presents to young boys and girls thanks to the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA).
This is an initiative where cruise ships that come to St. Kitts are giving back to our community.
Racquel Brown, CEO of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority, said that persons often take cruise ships coming to the island for granted. She explained that the cruise lines come to St. Kitts because the island is a prime destination.
“They come because they like St. Kitts. They like being here and one of the great things that we get to do with the cruise lines is to have Santa Clause and his elves partner with us to give out gifts,” said Ms. Brown.
The CEO said that her team and the cruise lines work hard to ensure that ships come in at least three times per week in the off season, but at least this time of year, which is from November to March 31st, they try to ensure that there is a cruise ship in the port every day.
The Holiday Gift Project is an initiative by the FCCA which reaches out to partners in Caribbean and Latin American destinations to provide gifts to children in foster homes or institutions where holiday gifts would not ordinarily be possible.
The gifts are delivered on Member Lines’ vessels to the destinations where the children enjoy a holiday party in their honour. In 2015, 40 destinations participated in the programme, with over 8,000 children receiving holiday gifts.