Cruise line to add ship
(CNS): The flagging cruise tourism sector may have a small boost ahead of the development of cruise berthing facilities. During a short trip to Miami this week, Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell said he managed to persuade at least one cruise line to add Cayman to the calls of an additional ship, boosting passenger figures by around 200,000 over the next two years, ahead of what is hoped to be at least one completed pier by the end of 2015. Kirkconnell said his meeting with the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) and other cruise stakeholders was very positive and they were very interested in the moves Cayman has made recently, with the business case for the berthing facilities being produced by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the removal of politicians from the process.
Speaking to members of the press Thursday, Kirkconnell said that he believed the FCCA and cruise lines needed to see the commitment from the new government to the cruise industry. He said they needed some reassurance over the much needed improvements for passengers at the terminals in George Town, such as more shade and better signage, among other issues. All of the requests, Kirkconnell said, could be dealt with relatively quickly as most of the changes were already underway.
“We put our best efforts forward and asked them what they needed us to do, and most of it was what you could describe as low hanging fruit which has already been identified and is in hand,” he added.
While the progress on the cruise berthing facilities was an important part of the meeting, Kirkconnell said the business case for the potential development will not be complete until at least October. As a result, something needed to be done, he said, to try and improve the situation in the short term and increase the number of ships that plan to call on Cayman.
“I believe local businesses and operators involved in cruise tourism will begin to see improvements soon,” he said, as he acknowledged the worrying decline in numbers so far this year. Although the cruise ships set schedules two years out, Kirkconnell said at least one line has already committed to adding a ship to its Cayman schedule.
Category: Local News
the minister should look at the Cayman Island Journal dtd 3 April 13 — about the partnership between cruise line and Ja govt— are we heading down the same path — ????
Certainly a move in the right direction by our Tourism Minister.The one thing I would ask of Mose is that he not delay in putting a couple of moorings to handle any cruise ships that might hopefully make the Brac a stop on their stay over.Lets not make the same mistake that was done here re the ships anchoring all over the place and causing the reefs to be in the sad shape they are today(in some areas)We have one thing to offer our visitors,stay over or cruise shippers and that is our natural environment so lets make sure we do all that we can to protect it.
Thing happened, says news website.
Can they limit the number of fat people that disembark? They block the sidewalks.
I'm sure the cruise industry was pleased to see they now have a transparent, knowledgeable group of business men and women to work with. This is exactly what they needed from us so they can confidently include Cayman in their plans. Good Job!
Thank Goodnes for the change in Govt after the elections!!
Can you imagine if Bush was still in charge?? What a nightmare.
What he didn't say was at the same time other cruise operators are making plans to drop Grand Cayman from the schedules completely. This is not because the lack of a cruise ship dock but because they have developed better, cheaper and more convenient destinations. Mr Kirkconnell, you can't sell a multi-million dollar project like the cruise dock to us on the basis of one operator sending one extra cruise ship. I'm frankly disappointed with this because there's still no committment from any major cruise line to use the proposed facility but they do still expect the Cayman Islands to put up all the money up for it – doesn't that sound a few warning bells to you?
Well said me bredren well said.
Excuse me Anonymous? "..there's still no commitment from any major cruise to use the proposed facility but they do still expect the Cayman Islands to put up all the money for it"? What rock have you beeen hiding under for the last 3 years? The opposite is, in fact, the case. The Cayman Islands is NOT providing the money for the docks neither is it providing a guarantee for the money, it is the cruise lines who are providing the guarantee for the funds based on a long term commitment to keep bringing passengers to Cayman. Better to say nothing if you have no idea what you are talking about!
If you want something done and done right, give it to a busy person. I'm very pleased with the way this project and peripheral issues are being handled. Well done, Mr. Mose.
If you want the job done correctly, send a Bracka!
Bracka
If you all look at the port's website, there is a whole lot of ships already booked to call Cayman beginning this winter season through the winter season 2015. It has me baffled, because everyone was crying that the industry was dying and yes, this year it did dip significantly, but it did so in just about every place else too and next year, Cayman and every place else seem to be doing much better.
Yes 23:17
Lots of ships have been booked.
And many more being built. the cruise industry is forever striving and building new ships.
Another Oasis class ship will launch in 2016 – 225,282 tons. capacity, 5,400 passengers.
(thought the hypocrites said no more of these were going to be built)
4 mega ships will launch 2014
2 in 2015 and 2 in 2016
Get ready Cayman! Moses, you have to get this port done quickly, and my guess the business case will request some sort of upland development. i wouldnt rule it out as yet.
We need proper on-shore facilities to process these passengers. Also added rest rooms and covered rest areas.Proper side walks to keep them out of the traffic. some roads need changed to pedestrian lanes.
"…and the removal of politicians from the process…"
In other words, removal of kickbacks, bribes, and commuity enhancement fees.
At last, business can be conducted here in a straight forward manner.
Give us a break moses
They don’t decide one week to the next to add a route.
Not a single word about the EIA, Moses?!
You are looking forward to completion by year end of 2015 – but not aword of concern in 2013 about the welfare of our diving industry, water quality and Seven Mile Beach?!
Nevertheless, it appears as if Cayman is suddenly willing to accept the risks and forego the proper checks and balances.
With every new day since election day McKeeva is proven right – people were against him just for the mere sake of it. How else can we explain this sudden change of heart in the country regarding this project?
What good is having a "well educated" government if they are intent on acting like ignorant asses?
Absolutely ridiculous.
That corruption, kick backs, public funds as private bank account and every other dirty back room deal is right? Missing your handout?
Just because McKeeva is out of power does not mean we should throw all caution to the wind.
In any event, if you believe this multi hundred million dollar project will be completely devoid of corruption you are kidding yourself.
If not in Cayman, someone somewhere will gain handsomely by way of immoral means.
Thats fair enough and this new (old) government are just the better of two evils agreed but your comment that people were against him just for the sake of it really just astonishes me. His ignorance, arrogance and incompetence almost brought direct rule and any number of other ruinous events.
Its a finger pier. They can't be built on reefs or coral, so dive sites will be unaffected. Calm dowm.
Dear Clairvoyant,
Thank you for that – I feel much better now.
Sincerely,
Sheep
That's ridiculous, whodatis. Obviously, it was McKeeva's handling of the cruise port issue – the breach of contract with GLF costing us millions of dollars, the suspicious circumstances surrounding the CHEC deal which was not subject to public tender, the poor quality of the deal itself, that caused him to lose public confidence and support away from the massive support he had in 2009.
I have not observed any change in heart by the public regarding building the cruise ship piers. The majority of people were calling for cruise ship piers to be built and lamenting the fact that we were losing cruise tourism while McKeeva bungled one deal after the next because while a minority were demanding an EIA first. The primary concern was the economy rather than the environment. That has not changed. Just check the posts from those previous articles.
I thought you were an independent thinker but this nonsense smacks of Bushite paranoia and suggests that you are a Kool Aid drinker.
Poster, McKeeva and the UDP are long gone, therefore the majority of your post is irrelevant.
Regardless of who builds the proposed port, the paramount concern must be the potential irreversible negative impact it could have on the country.
Unfortunately, all we are hearing now are deadlines for the project to be completed … that worries me greatly.
In any event, I believe we are placing too much emphasis on the other piers. I elaborate on this point in the news story regarding the FIFA under-15 tournament (an estimated $10m injection into the economy) to be hosted here.
Furthermore, I am more concerned about stimulating “Caymanians” as opposed to “the economy” – the two are no longer one and the same. An airport extension would provide a better opportunity for that to come about when compared to finger piers – not to mention the significant reduction in risks to the country and economy.
As for being a Bushite and drinking of kool-aid … I say cheers to you for scoring the cheap points. However, you and I both know you are way off the mark there.
It was you that brought up the subject of McKeeva.
Whodatis "With every new day since election day McKeeva is proven right – people were against him just for the mere sake of it. How else can we explain this sudden change of heart in the country regarding this project?"
These are your words, whodatis: "With every new day since election day McKeeva is proven right – people were against him just for the mere sake of it. How else can we explain this sudden change of heart in the country regarding this project?".
Your post would have had some merit without them. All they did was to betray a paranoia which logically suggests a blind political allegiance to Bush.
I am sorry sir, but its not ridiculous. Any proposition of dredging the Cayman Waters, to the extent that the pier development would take, requires an EIA to be performed.. Do your research, talk to the Department. So jold on hold on
13;37
Can you explaine just how an EIA is going to indicate where and how the current will change direction and wash away the sand off of our 7 mile beach. ludicrous.
My common sense tells me, it is so ridiculous to analise nature. It is all scare mongoring, amongst people that do not want to see this port happen.
I have fished the water in the harbour for years, most of the time the current is heading west north west. Some times, west south west.
If one doesnt know where that is, sit on any ironshore in GT and look at the sun set. its a little to the right of the sun when she is setting.
In the past, we have had nature by the way of a storm reverse the current and at times erroded the sand from parts of the beach. Some times the sand would relocate it self on other areas of the beach…for instance, the public beach, Great house, Pinnacle and the governors residence. We have never lose our sand, it just shift back and forth, when we get the shift of current from a bad storm, from the wesern direction
We have never had the beach so wide that i can remember for the last 38 years. Sometimes the sand would move off shore 200 feet, one could stand in that area and the water would only reach your waist.
Should we deepen a section of the harbour, the only adverse effect we will get is swirly current, within the surrounding of the immidiate dredged areas.
No one can predict nature. All your EIA are rubbish…. know your ocean and your currents. it is so simple.
The only adverse effect the seven mile beach will have is, if we dredge along the shore line, or should we open an inlet from the North sound. this is common knowledge. it would act like a river….and wash away the sand from the immidiate area.
Then why is it that as soon as the Marriot hotel was built they lost their beach.
Do you remember that fiasco about the variety of ways they were going to use to get the beach back and make it stay?
and it needs to be taken into consideration.
However please PPM get the cruise port during this election term.
If not here is one that voted for you but will not vote for you the next time.
The marriot built a seawall too close to the beach, when the bad weather came in from the North West, the waves created a swirly motion against the wall and removed the sand.
This is simple elementary….you throw a bucket of water against a wall and the force of the water will create a back lash, which will remove the sand at the foot of the wall.
Tell me, has anyone found any types of drift on the seven mile beach? no! why?because the current never flows there from South Sound as some expert claimes.
When people dont want to see change they create gossip, scare mongering and BS.
Yes I have to agree with you. Moses, get the port built and dont let these people full your head up with crap. You are a smart, intellegent man, with lots of seafaring and common sense in ye blood…. you know where current flows.
PPM not doing bad to start off. Keep it up!