St. Croix will miss the Carnival Destiny’s infusion of dollars into the local economy for the second time in two weeks.
The megaship will not call on Frederiksted next Wednesday because it will be in dry dock, according to Carnival officials. The ship also missed its last scheduled call to the island Nov. 17 after Hurricane Lenny called instead.
The ship, which carries approximately 3,000 passengers and more than 1,000 crew, visits the island every other Wednesday. What makes the Destiny different from other cruise ships that call on St. Croix, however, is that it stays in port until midnight. Most ships leave in the early evening.
The Destiny’s late departure enables local vendors to sell their wares at Harbour Night, a block party in Frederiksted that features food, music and arts and crafts. Hugh Dalton, organizer of the biweekly event, says it generates more than $1 million a year for local businesses. That figure, though, doesn’t count money spent by passengers on taxis and other goods during the day throughout the island.
St. Croix businesses may find some consolation in the SS Norway, however. Because of damage caused by Hurricane Lenny on St. Martin, the Norwegian Cruise Line ship will call on St. Croix the next two Tuesdays.
The Triumph, the Destiny’s sister ship, will continue to tie up in Frederiksted on the Wednesdays the Destiny isn’t in port, but it does not stay late.