P&O Cruises Adds St. Kitts Homeport for Iona Fly-Cruises in 2027

P&O Cruises will add St. Kitts as a Caribbean homeport beginning in November 2027, with Iona scheduled to start and end select fly/cruise voyages in Basseterre.

The plan makes Basseterre an additional embarkation and disembarkation point for the UK-focused fly/cruise program, expanding the line’s turnaround options beyond Barbados, where P&O Cruises currently operates roundtrip Caribbean sailings from Bridgetown.

Basseterre becomes a turnaround port for Iona

P&O Cruises said guests will fly to St. Kitts and join Iona in Basseterre for seven-night and 14-night roundtrip Caribbean itineraries that return to St. Kitts at the end of the voyage. The ship is listed at 184,000 gross tons and carries up to 5,200 passengers and around 1,800 crew.

• Launch timing: The first St. Kitts turnaround sailings are planned for November 2027, under the line’s Caribbean fly/cruise program from the UK.
• Turnaround location: Basseterre, St. Kitts, in the Port Zante area, will handle embarkation and debarkation activity for select voyages.
• Ship and onboard volume: Iona is slated to operate the St. Kitts homeport sailings, with capacity figures of up to 5,200 passengers and about 1,800 crew per sailing.
• Voyage lengths: P&O Cruises said the program will include both seven-night and 14-night Caribbean roundtrips.

Paul Ludlow, president of Carnival UK and P&O Cruises, described the change as an expansion of the company’s fly/cruise approach in the region. “We are delighted to be adding St. Kitts as an additional turnaround port for Iona, marking an exciting evolution of our Caribbean fly/cruise program from autumn 2027,” Ludlow said.

Ludlow added that the new option gives guests increased access to the destination, calling St. Kitts “one of the region’s most beautiful and culturally rich destinations.”

How St. Kitts fits alongside Barbados in the Caribbean program

P&O Cruises’ fly/cruise structure is geared toward UK travelers who fly to the Caribbean to join their ship rather than sailing across the Atlantic. The line has long used Caribbean ports as turnarounds, including Bridgetown, Barbados, where ships such as Britannia and Arvia operate roundtrip itineraries.

St. Kitts has appeared on P&O Cruises itineraries previously as a port of call. Under the new plan, Basseterre shifts from being a visit during a cruise to being the point where some sailings begin and end, while the company continues its existing turnaround operations in Barbados.

St. Kitts officials position homeporting as a tourism milestone

St. Kitts’ government publicly backed the arrangement, framing it as a broader opportunity tied to the added logistics and visitor flows that come with turnaround calls.

Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew said the move carries economic and cultural implications beyond standard day visits. “The introduction of homeporting in St. Kitts marks a pivotal moment in our nation’s progress,” Drew said. “Each ship that docks brings new opportunities for our people, our economy, and our culture to flourish.”

Tourism Minister Marsha T. Henderson pointed to the operational shift expected by late 2027. “By November 2027, the destination will move beyond a port of call to a transition port,” Henderson said. “This represents meaningful growth for our nation and it is growth that our people will feel.”

Cruise growth figures and near-term demand

As St. Kitts works toward adding homeport operations, officials have highlighted continued growth in cruise passenger arrivals. For the 2024–2025 season, the destination reported about 748,000 cruise passenger arrivals.

Officials have also projected March 2026 as a record month, with 68 cruise ship calls expected to bring more than 130,000 guests to the island.

Port Zante and airport connectivity upgrades ahead of 2027

To support embarkation and disembarkation traffic, St. Kitts is advancing infrastructure work linked to the Port Zante area in Basseterre, including a planned cruise terminal intended to better handle turnaround logistics. Authorities have tied the homeporting agreement to a wider push to expand tourism capacity ahead of 2027, including projects beyond cruise operations such as new cultural attractions.

The port-side work is being led by the St. Christopher Air and Sea Ports Authority and the Urban Development Corporation, with officials describing a phased rollout intended to be in place before the first homeport sailings.

• Embarkation and debarkation improvements: Port Zante upgrades are intended to streamline turnaround-day passenger processing for Iona’s homeport calls.
• New terminal development: St. Kitts has described a planned cruise terminal designed to handle the added logistical demands of a turnaround port.
• Airport-to-port connections: Projects include improved movement between Port Zante and Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport, reflecting the fly/cruise structure.

Beyond port operations, officials expect homeport activity to increase demand for hotels, ground transportation, and pre- and post-cruise stays, although they have said the overall impact will depend on how frequently Iona operates St. Kitts turnarounds and what the final deployment schedule looks like.

Fly-cruise incentives and a sample Caribbean itinerary

Separately, P&O Cruises is offering an onboard spending promotion for Select Price fly-cruises booked for travel between April 2026 and March 2028. The company said eligible guests can receive up to £850 in onboard spending money, usable for specialty dining, spa treatments, shore excursions, and retail purchases.

The promotion applies to fly-cruises departing from Tenerife, Malta, Barbados, and Antigua, across a mix of seven- and 14-night itineraries in the Canary Islands, the Mediterranean, and the Caribbean. Ludlow said the additional credit is meant to give guests more flexibility to personalize their trip, whether through shoreside activities or onboard options.

One example itinerary outlined by the line is a 14-night Eastern Caribbean cruise departing Bridgetown in November 2027, calling at ports that include Basseterre, Tortola, Saint Maarten, and Martinique, and ending with an overnight stay in Antigua. P&O Cruises said prices for that sailing start at £3,199 per person, including economy flights from London Gatwick, full-board meals, entertainment, and children’s clubs.

With the first St. Kitts turnarounds targeted for November 2027, the next milestones highlighted by officials include delivery of the phased port enhancements and the release of sailing schedules showing how often Iona will begin and end cruises in Basseterre.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

When will P&O Cruises begin homeporting in St. Kitts?

P&O Cruises plans to start embarkation and disembarkation operations in Basseterre in November 2027, using St. Kitts as an additional turnaround port within its Caribbean fly/cruise program.

Which ship will use St. Kitts as a turnaround port, and how many people can it carry?

Iona will operate the St. Kitts homeport sailings. The ship is listed at 184,000 gross tons, with capacity for up to 5,200 passengers and around 1,800 crew.

What cruise lengths will be offered from Basseterre?

P&O Cruises said the St. Kitts homeport program will include seven-night and 14-night roundtrip Caribbean itineraries that start and end in Basseterre.

What upgrades are planned to support homeporting in Basseterre?

St. Kitts has linked the homeporting plan to Port Zante-area improvements, including a planned cruise terminal focused on more efficient embarkation and disembarkation flows and improved connections between the port and Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport. The work is being led by the St. Christopher Air and Sea Ports Authority and the Urban Development Corporation, with a phased rollout ahead of November 2027.

How does P&O Cruises’ onboard spending promotion work?

P&O Cruises said guests booking Select Price fly-cruises between April 2026 and March 2028 can receive up to £850 in onboard spending money. The credit can be used on items such as specialty dining, spa treatments, shore excursions, and retail purchases, and applies to fly-cruises departing from Tenerife, Malta, Barbados, and Antigua.