POINTE BLANCHE:--- Port St. Maarten Management said late Monday night that the cruise ship Costa Magica which should have been in port on Monday, March 16, was delayed, and is now scheduled to arrive in the early morning hours of Tuesday. There are no cruise passengers onboard the vessel.
The cruise ship based on humanitarian grounds was given permission by the Government of St. Maarten to re-fuel and for food provisioning (containers).
The cruise ship will be picking up a medical doctor who arrived on the island on Monday. Permission was granted by the Government of St. Maarten for the doctor to join the vessel in St. Maarten.
Prior to the doctor’s arrival, he was screened and cleared prior to being allowed to travel to the country, and he was screened a second time upon arrival at the Princess Juliana International Airport as per the travel restriction protocols that are in place at St. Maarten main ports of entry.
The vessels crew are not allowed to disembark while the vessel is moored at the cruise pier. Once the vessel completes its bunkering and provisioning operations, it will depart St. Maarten.
