On Land
Port St. Maarten Rebounds
O
n September 6, 2017, Hurricane Irma struck the Caribbean island nation of St. Maarten. A Category 5+ on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale, with St. Maarten receiving wind speeds between 185 to 240 miles per hour, Irma left behind catastrophic damage. Only five months after, the country had already restored over 95 percent of its electricity to households and businesses; over 80 percent of businesses had reopened; and over 75 percent of tours were operational—making St. Maarten open for business. At the same time, the country remained focused on building better and stronger after going through this experience. The reset button is in place to reinvent “Cruise St. Maarten.” When rebounding, the overall promotional theme to the cruise community was to rediscover the “Friendly Island.” And this obviously resonated, with major cruise lines as well as boutique luxury lines returning within two months of the storm, demonstrating not only that the country was open for business, but also showing
64 FIRST QUARTER 2018 | TRAVEL & CRUISE
the continued support and commitment from the cruise sector for the destination, along with the destination’s resiliency its people’s tireless efforts. The first commercial cruise ship to call at Port St. Maarten post-Irma was on December 4, 2017. The vessel was in port with 672 mainly American passengers and 472 crew. A delegation boarded the vessel for the welcome and plaque exchange ceremony mid-morning, and a senior Government official presented a plaque of the courthouse to the Captain. On that day, passengers stepped off the ship and into a warm welcome from a local steel pan band, stilt walkers, dancers and Carnival Queens. This took place in the presence of a senior Government official and members of Port St. Maarten’s Board of Supervisory Directors and Management, who greeted the first passengers. Port St. Maarten distributed complimentary #SXMStrong wrist bands to passengers who came ashore to make them a part of the destination’s recovery. And activities throughout the day made them a
part of St. Maarten’s culture, with festivities on the Boardwalk near the Captain Hodge Wharf in Philipsburg including a steel band, a mini-parade with a local Drum Band and DJ entertainment, all organized by the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau. Similar activities were also staged at the the Walter Plantz Square at Down Street, strategically located next to the Walter Plantz Tender Jetty, which connects to the boardwalk/beach promenade,
