The ship, which regularly calls on Grand Cayman as part of its cruising itinerary hit the international news headlines last week when it was revealed that a Texas lab technician who had handled Ebola medical samples was aboard.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Tourism attended the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) Conference and Trade show in St. Maarten on October 6-8, 2014 and held high level talks with Ministers of Tourism of Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Vincent on the Southern Caribbean Cruise Initiative (SCCI).

St. Kitts will experience its best ever summer cruise ship season in history next year, between May and September. According to the official 2014/2015 Cruise Ship Itinerary, 70 calls from 9 ships are scheduled during this period with an estimated 258,000 passengers.

China, the world's largest shipbuilder, is looking to build its first luxury cruise vessel, with help from cruise operator Carnival Corp (CCL.N) and Italian shipyard Fincantieri SpA (FCT.MI), as the country looks to expand domestic tourism. Carnival said it would provide ship design and shipbuilding expertise.

From fall 2014 through spring 2015, Holland America Line heads to the tropics of Hawaii and explores the spirit of Mexico with a variety of itineraries ranging in length from seven to 18 days.