By
Laura Hyde |
Antigua Cruise Port has officially opened its new cruise terminal in St. John’s ahead of schedule. The terminal is a key component of Antigua Cruise Port’s upland development, which aims to invest in the country’s cruise infrastructure and support long-term tourism growth.
The new terminal has been designed to enhance the passenger experience with numerous food and beverage outlets, retail shops and the Antigua Day Club, as well as optimise operational efficiency while accommodating increasing numbers of visitors. The port recently welcomed record passenger volumes and is expecting its highest-ever daily cruise arrivals on 23 January 2027, when more than 17,000 people are expected to visit in a single day.
Over 12,000 passengers visited Antigua Cruise Port in January 2026 as multiple vessels called at St John’s and Falmouth harbours
The infrastructure upgrade is part of a long-term public-private partnership between the Government of Antigua & Barbuda and port operator Global Ports Holding (GPH). It is hoped the terminal will reinforce Antigua’s role as a turnaround destination in the Caribbean.
Work on the terminal began in February 2025 with a groundbreaking ceremony, following the construction of the port’s fifth berth – a 700-foot pier designed to expand berthing capacity and to accommodate the world’s largest cruise vessels. Together with the fifth berth, the new terminal marks the government’s and GPH’s commitment to sustainable cruise tourism, economic opportunity and long-term value creation for the people of Antigua and Barbuda.
(from left) Gasper George, general manager of Antigua Cruise Port, and Mehmet Kutman, chairman of Global Ports Holding, speaking at the opening ceremony
The terminal’s opening ceremony brought together GPH executives, including chairman Mehmet Kutman, with senior government officials, including Prime Minister Hon. Gaston Browne, and cruise industry partners. Browne highlighted the terminal’s opening as a tangible outcome of the government’s 30-year concession agreement with GPH.
Watch highlights of the terminal’s opening ceremony on 24 January 2026
Antigua Cruise Port has called for local entrepreneurs to submit expressions of interest for retail and experience spaces within its upland development project, which will introduce a mix of kiosks and bazaar-style retail and experience spaces to the port. It is hoped it will showcase locally made products, cultural expressions and visitor experiences.
Read more: How Global Ports Holding is future-proofing its ports