ST JOHNS, Antigua – Following statements by shipping agent, Nathan Dundas that Carnival Cruise Lines canceled all bookings to Antigua and Barbuda commencing next season November 2019 to 2020, the ministry of tourism called the statements deceptive, adding, “It is significant that, at no time, did Dundas contact the ministry, the port authority or the tourism authority before his statement.
“The ministry of tourism and investment condemns unequivocally, a misleading and scare-mongering statement made by a local shipping agent, Dundas, which serves the purposes of interested parties, other than the people of Antigua and Barbuda.”
The statement continued: “Dundas says that Carnival Cruise Lines has canceled its four upcoming calls for the winter 2019/20 season and that more cancellations are to follow. However, what he does not reveal is that normally, Carnival Cruise Lines make only three or four calls to Antigua and Barbuda annually. The one exception to this pattern was the 2017-18 winter season when Hurricanes decimated other destinations, causing Carnival to take advantage of Antigua’s fully functioning port.”
