The move will see thousands of passengers start and end their holidays in capital city, Basseterre, shifting the island from a traditional port of call to a fly-cruise gateway and creating fresh selling opportunities for agents.
The programme will centre on P&O Cruises ship Iona, with fly-cruise packages expected to drive demand from the UK market in particular.
Deputy chief executive officer of the Saint Kitts Tourism Authority, Melnecia Marshall, told TTG the shift should prompt agents to rethink how they package the destination.
"We don’t want agents to sell just an eight-hour stop," she said. "This is about a full experience, where you fly into a destination, join the cruise seamlessly, and then have the opportunity to explore more of the island pre- or post-cruise."
Marshall added that homeporting opens up upsell opportunities around pre- and post-cruise stays, with discussions underway to expand flight-only options beyond the core fly-cruise packages.
"We’re looking at giving agents more flexibility so clients can spend time on island before they join the cruise," she said.
The initiative forms part of a broader strategy to grow visibility in the UK, which tourism officials view as an underdeveloped but high-value market.
"There is real pent-up potential in the UK," Marshall said. "It’s a market with strong spend, longer stays and travellers who want authentic experiences over 'fly and flop'."
'Exciting evolution'
The homeporting push is also expected to increase on-island spend by extending passenger dwell time and encouraging deeper engagement with local communities, excursions and suppliers.
Infrastructure upgrades are already underway to support the strategy, including the development of a new cruise terminal at Port Zante designed to streamline transfers between Robert L. Bradshaw International airport and the port.
Paul Ludlow, president of P&O Cruises, described the move as an "exciting evolution" of the line’s Caribbean fly-cruise programme.
"This gives our guests even greater flexibility and choice, while opening more seamless access to one of the region’s most beautiful and culturally rich destinations," he said.
It comes as the Saint Kitts Tourism Authority named Chelcie Lewis as its new UK sales and marketing consultant – a new role for the organisation – as it looks to grow its presence in this country's market.
