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Iconic photography and insights by
award winning photographer JD Schwartz

IT'S GO TIME FOR THE PORT OF ARUBA, MY HOME...

Aruba's ship arrivals have ramped up and will continue to grow staying busy right through the end of April. We're expecting some great arrivals and maiden calls soon to be posted with photos. The industry is also growing, from cruise line revenues and profits to occupancies and the number of newbuilds launching this year.

WELCOME ICON OF THE SEAS

Icon of the Seas is the first vessel in a series of three Icon Class ships for Royal Caribbean. With a record-breaking 250,800 gross tonnes, the ship has the capacity to accommodate up to 5,610 passengers in double occupancy, or a maximum capacity of 7,600 guests, along with 2,350 crew members. The second ship in this class is scheduled for delivery in 2025, followed by the third in 2026.

The most exciting newbuild and launch in May 2024 will be Cunard's Queen Anne - essentially a cookie cutter version of Holland America's Pinnacle class but more. Some of the onboard interior spaces are just outstanding - modern in design but retaining and immersed in that wonderful classic Cunard trademark; where modern meets sophistication.

New arrivals also include - Celebrity's newest fleetmate, Ascent - sister of Apex and Beyond but with some new angles and features; and NCL's VIVA, sister to the well received PRIMA. A complete list of new deliveries listed here.

A BUSY CARIBBEAN

Hard to believe. Many Caribbean islands are reporting better projected ship visitors this season prior to the pandemic. My first postdemic cruise if you want to call it that was from St. Maarten on Celebritiy's Summit un August of 2021 - just 380 fellow passengers.

Here in ARUBA the return of ships is a welcome sight for this hungry ship addict. I'll be taking loads of pictures featuring arrivals and some departures.

However, it can be a sad day when the total number of passengers and crew can reach half the population of some of their island destinations. Choose wisely. Our max here in Aruba is about three ships. That could equate to 10-12,000 guests, or ten percent of Aruba's population.

Wherever you sail to this fall or winter, stay safe and stay well. Life is good.

Journey On !