Cruise tourism in Antigua and Barbuda got a major boost last week when the Adventure of the Seas, the world`s largest cruise ship, docked at the Heritage Quay Port in St. John`s just a few minutes after 7:00AM.

Port, Customs Officials and curious onlookers were on hand to welcome the ship`s captain and crew as it made its inaugural visit to the country. An official reception is slated for later today.

Adventure of the Seas has been described as a revolutionary marvel of naval engineering, and is owned and operated by Royal Caribbean International out of Miami Florida, and brings a whole new world of elegance and class to the cruise industry. The ship`s featured highlights include an Ice Skating Rink; a Royal Promenade; Rock Climbing Wall, a Five Story Theatre and a Ship-Shape Fitness Center, that`s second to none, just to name a few.

The Adventure of the Seas has a passenger capacity of 3, 114; a gross tonnage of 138,000; a length of 1020` a draft of 25` and a cruising speed of 23.7 knots.

The ship will be sailing the Southern Caribbean year-round and is part of the Voyager class of ships.

Tourism officials here are expressing delight in having the Adventure of the Seas in town with its weekly visits, adding that, this is good news for the country`s cruise tourism product. On January 1 this year, four cruise ships visited the country and brought a total of over 9000 passengers with them.

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