THE BOTTOM – The “Big B” ferry made its first overnight trip to Saba last Friday. The visit was the start of what is supposed to be a regular ferry service out of St. Maarten.
The 130 ft luxury ferry can carry 230 passengers and the trip is averaged at hour from St. Maarten to Saba. While the travelling schedule and cost has not been finalized, this ferry service will be an added contribution to the growing tourism market on the island, which for some time had been on a decline.
Passengers arrive on Saba port.
Commissioner of Tourism Bruce Zagers: “I received the great news last week that everything was ready for the ferry service to start. When we spoke about the first visit, it was mutually agreed that a carnival trip would be ideal. The planning started right away, and by the end of the first day already a poster was released. A little more than a week later and the Big B ferry is on Saba with 100 passengers. Adding another ferry also facilitates easier travel between Saba and St. Maarten, as now every day of the week will have a ferry traveling between the two islands.”
Carnival
The extra guests on the island were an added treat to the island’s Friday night and Saturday carnival activities. The ferry trip included the round trip ticket, a ticket to the evening’s activities and participation in the annual grand parade and “jouvert” early morning jump-up.