In an immersive educational initiative, students from St. John’s Catholic School were granted exclusive access to explore the inner workings of the cruise ship AIDAperla during a meticulously guided tour. The event, orchestrated by Antigua Cruise Port, served as a dynamic platform for youth engagement with the island’s vital maritime sector.
This excursion transcends a simple field trip, forming a critical component of the port’s sustained youth outreach programme. The primary objective is to illuminate the cruise industry’s profound and multifaceted role as an economic engine for Antigua and Barbuda. By stepping aboard a fully operational vessel, students moved beyond theoretical learning to gain tangible, first-hand insight into potential career pathways in hospitality, marine engineering, tourism management, and logistics.
Antigua Cruise Port authorities have confirmed this event is not an isolated occurrence. The program is designed for expansion, with an open invitation extended to educational institutions across the nation to express their interest in participating in forthcoming scheduled tours. This long-term strategy aims to cultivate a knowledgeable, homegrown workforce poised to engage with and support the evolving cruise sector, thereby strengthening the nation’s economic resilience and fostering sustainable development within the local tourism ecosystem.