Dozens of excited primary school children in St. Kitts received early Christmas presents from Santa Claus, who arrived on Celebrity Eclipse and handed out gifts on December 7.

The event was sponsored by the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association, which provided the presents.  At each port, Santa and his elves will hand out gifts provided by the association.  In 2015, 40 destinations participated in the program, with over 8,000 kids receiving a little holiday cheer in the form of a present.

The students awaited Santa’s arrival in Independence Square.  Some of the younger kids were hesitant to meet him, while others sat in his lap as he gave them a toy from a wide range of selections.  Santa talked to the children, and encouraged them to stay on their best behavior.

Celebrity Eclipse Youth Counselor Joan Jontilano explained the event’s background to the Observer: “The captain and crew from our ship that docked in St. Kitts brought gifts from our company to give to the kids from St. Kitts.  We visit these ports every season.  As a company we want to give back to the communities we visit,” she continued. “Especially for kids that may be under-privileged or may not be able to have a toy.  It is really nice for us to give back, because many of us are away from our families and have children at home.”

The CEO of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority Raquel Brown said they work in conjunction with various cruise lines to ensure they visit St. Kitts, and this activity is one benefit of the partnership.  “One of the great things we get to do with the cruise lines is to have Santa Claus give out gifts,” she remarked.

Kudos to Celebrity for participating in this awesome program to bring a little extra Christmas cheer to children across the Caribbean islands.

Information: The St. Kitts Nevis Observer