Cruise ships divert from St Kitts after weekend robbery

Two cruise ships have cancelled calls to St Kitts this week after 17 foreign visitors were robbed at Brimstone Hill, one of the island's main tourist attractions.

Carnival Cruise Lines on Monday said it was diverting Carnival Miracle with its more than 2,000 passengers to Antigua. Princess Cruises' Grand Princess also announced plans to divert to the neighbouring island.

"The executives from Princess Cruise Lines called to indicate that they were going to cancel their call of the Grand Princess on Wednesday. Obviously, I sought to find out the reason for this cancellation and very quickly they told me it related to the incident that took place yesterday where 17 cruise passengers were robbed," said Denzil Crooke, managing director of Delisle Walwyn, the cruise ship agents told a local radio station.

But while the diversions have translated to nearly 3,000 additional cruise visitors to Antigua on Tuesday, the head of the Antigua & Barbuda Cruise Tourism Association, Nathan Dundas said he was saddened by the whole affair.

"We take no comfort from this. We don't like the situation that has taken place in St Kitts. It can happen anywhere," he said.

St Kitts & Nevis National Security Minister Sam Condor condemned the robbery, calling it an attack on the country.

"The robbery of any individual, local or visitor, is an act of assault, which is illegal and totally unacceptable," he said in a televised address on Tuesday night.

"It is, in fact, an attack on all persons throughout the federation who work in businesses large or small that are related directly or indirectly to the flow of visitors to our federation," he added.

The men behind Sunday's robbery remain at large, with the police vowing to bring the culprits to justice. Leader of the main opposition People's Action Movement, Lindsay Grant, has since called for a bi-partisan approach to dealing with crime in St Kitts and Nevis.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Joseph Liburd said the investigations would continue until the culprits are apprehended. The visitors, passengers onboard the Celebrity Mercury, were robbed of cash, jewellery, cellphones and other personal items.

"The Sandy Point Police and the entire police organisation are working as much as we can, putting all the bits and pieces together with the intelligence we have," he said.

- CMC