Disney Treasure makes inaugural call to BVI, partners with YEP

Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Treasure made its inaugural visit to the Virgin Islands on Wednesday, November 27, marking a significant moment for both tourism and community engagement in the Territory.

The cruise line also announced a new partnership with the Youth Empowerment Program (YEP) as part of its “Treasure Tomorrow” initiative, aimed at investing in youth education.

During an interview on JTV, Joey Gaskins, Public Affairs Director, and Que Jones, Senior Manager for Corporate Social Responsibility, discussed the cruise line’s commitment to making community investments in the port communities it visits.

“It is all about investing in youth education programmes in the port communities that we visit, and in Tortola we will be supporting YEP,” Jones said.

Exposure to career opportunities

The programme aims to provide local youth with exposure to career opportunities in the maritime and hospitality industries, offering access to industry experts. Jones explained, “It allows our cast and crew members to not only provide awareness of exciting career opportunities but also give students access to experts in that space.”

YEP’s alignment with the hospitality sector, Jones noted, would be a key focus of the partnership. While the exact duration of the program was not specified, she shared that the Disney Treasure would be visiting Tortola’s port approximately 30 times a year.

“We want to make sure we’re engaged with students throughout the academic school year and beyond. And when we visit, we want to bring students on board to meet experts,” Jones added. She also mentioned the possibility of crew members visiting local classrooms to interact directly with students.

A “preview cruise”

Gaskins described the inaugural call as a “preview cruise” with mostly crew and cast members aboard, and emphasised that this was “the first stop of many” for the Disney Treasure in the Territory.

According to the BVI Ports Authority, the inaugural cruise carried 2,978 passengers and 1,713 crew members.

To commemorate the occasion, a plaque exchange ceremony was held, attended by Minister for Communication and Works Kye Rymer and Junior Minister for Tourism Luce Hodge-Smith, symbolizing the beginning of a new partnership between Disney Cruise Line and the BVI.