Christmas cruise ship visit cancelled
(CNS): The plans for a test run with cruise tourism have been cancelled. Officials have confirmed that the controversial proposed call on 28 December by the Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam will not happen, a move that is likely to be broadly welcomed, given the public anxiety over the spread of COVID-19 on cruise ships and the current increase here in the contagious Omicron variant.
The announcement was first made on Wednesday evening on a social media platform by Premier Wayne Panton, while Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan, who said last week that the visit would be very safe, is on leave visiting family in the UK and will not be back until the New Year.
GIS confirmed last night that the call by the Nieuw Statendam was cancelled and that an official release would be issued on Thursday. But speaking to Sandy Hill on Wednesday evening on a podcast that was broadcast live on social media, when she read a viewer’s question about whether or not the cruise ship was still scheduled to come, Panton paused for some time before saying no.
“Obviously, a lot of circumstances are constantly evolving… This is one of those cases where circumstances have conspired against us,” he said with a wry tone. Noting that there were “a variety of issues”, he said there comes a time when you realise “it’s probably not the best for this to continue”.
Panton said, “The risk profile and the circumstances and the potential benefit that you thought was going to happen look less likely to materialize and the risk profile looks likely to shift against you, so we have taken a position that we are not going to proceed with this cruise ship visit. Unfortunately, it will have some impact on some folks, but by and large most people probably feel it would not be the right time and reflects mixed messaging,” he said.
As news spread Wednesday evening, the PACT leader was criticised by some people for making such an import announcement on the social media platform where the live audience was at the time relatively small, rather than on the publicly funded government television channel CIGTV or during an official press briefing.
CNS will post any further details released by government officials as they are received.
See Panton make the announcement below:
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid
I’m no fan of Kenneth Bryan but would you all just let his past go already! Yes, he dabbled in illegal stuff but that was 15 years ago and people are allowed to change. By all accounts he has a stable marriage, wonderful children and has redeemed himself on that front. Why keep bringing it up? No one has been perfect their whole life have they? Let’s make 2022 a better, kinder year for all. Big love to my wonderful Caymanians x
It’s the clown show.
Sounds a bit like Joe Manchin running to a safe house from his own party to make an opposing statement without being intimidated – WTH is going on with you & PACT Wayne, I do however agree with making the call
Cayman loves to hear what the rest of the world is doing:
No non-essential travel for ALL Canadians and an MP has been censured for travelling non-essentially.
https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/liberal-mp-censured-for-defying-advice-on-non-essential-travel-1.5717398
Not a ban on non-essential travel, only advised against. Same ‘advice’ was in effect from march 2020 through October 2021. MP’s however are supposed to set an example…..(Canadian MPs that is 😉
Actually, it was removed this summer but if you want play… it’s ridiculous a cruise ship is turned away when people can fly off to far flung places and bring whatever back, don’t you agree? But it’s ok as long as it’s Caymanians bringing whatever in, I guess?
Classic do as we say, not as we do…
If you fly back need a clear test within 24 hours of travel then get LFT on day 2,5 and 10,; test positive on any of those and you get quarantined. The cruise shi – clear test before boarding, lot more than 24 hrs before arrival in Cayman, and no follow up testing. So you are right – double standards, but not the way you suggest.
Kenny couldn’t even stay and face “his people “.
Well no cruise ships haven’t come to cayman from last year so who’s bringing in this covid now ehh.cant blame cruise ships for this now so take that.
Keep in mind that the vast majority of “travellers” are residents not tourists.
Wasn’t it muted that it was traced back to two local families, one of which had travelled , or is my memory not working to well.
And stay out!
Holland America cancelled their visit to Grand Cayman
To protect its passengers from this covid infested little place
I was not PACT
Too bad we can’t get the truth? I saw over in the other rag that CIG asked the cruise ship to jump through some other C19 hoop and they couldn’t so CIG told them not to come.
Cayman kind.
And in other news today:
Second Royal Caribbean ship has COVID-19 outbreak and is denied entry to Curacao and Aruba
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article256803847.html
I kninda read this last week somewhere i tjink
It was pure stupidness to allow that ship to come here this month in the first place, stupid people do stupid things.
APF. Another PACT fail.
They had to do this to save those cruise passengers from catching Covid-19 on the streets of Cayman and potentially infecting the rest of the passengers. Way to look out for others, Caymankind!!!!
Another question i would like to ask, is why or how can a father and son sit on the same Port Authority board?
Good point. But then again they appoint convicted fraudsters to boards as well.
Because they can.
Because the Ombudsman is a nice Canadian lady, and no one is actually in charge of good governance around here.
Well we have a convicted drug seller as the Minister of Tourism. So there’s that.
Premier Panton made the correct decision and no doubt he will make many more in the best interests of this country and its people.
Good to have him in power.
LOL
Wonder if he had McBeater’s permission to make that announcement.
😅🤣🤣🤣😂
“Him in power” ..who is ‘him’…Mac, UDP…?
Sure as hell Wayne isn’t in power, or things like Myles and almost all board appointments
would not have happened.
Eventually you are what your record says you are.
I don’t understand why people still have this sort of positive view of the Premier.
He isn’t up to the job and his gov’t appears more and more corrupt by the day.
But he is still the Premier and could do things differently if he wanted to.
You comment basically gives him a free pass for getting rolled like a bum…
Really. Then why did he allow the ship in the first instance? This would have been decided in Cabinet and in his Caucus before that. He is as much to blame as Kenneth.
You think Wayne gets to make decisions?
Holland America made the decision.
7:54 – Absolutely! Stopping at a highly infected island would’ve created a nightmare Covid outbreak scenario on that ship. Holland America made the right decision.
Premier Panton had to correct a ghastly irresponsible decision and no doubt he and his Clown Car will make many more stupid decisions needing correction in the future.
This is the modus operandi when clowns are in power. They push chit up the flag pole to see how it flies. When it slings its stink and people slap back, they pull it down but display no remorse, nor offer any apology for their initial stupidity.
Hopefully the people will continue to hold Panton’s feet to the fire and demand he and his minions act in the best interests of this country and its people. Ultimately this should mean the resignation of the present clown government, but they do not possess the integrity to bow out gracefully.
Omicron up to 70% less likely to need hospital care (https://www.bbc.com/news/health-59769969).
Why is the cruise ship being cancelled again?
It’s really simple, friendo. You choose to consider minimal deaths to be unimportant. Most of us who have family here or at least skin in living here are willing to do whatever we can to absolutely minimise deaths.
You choose to look at momentary stats and consider them to be trends or even the more elusive “facts”; the truth is that the virus variants are ever-changing and the response to them is always evolving. We are in living history and nobody knows for certain what is the right move or what the outcome will be. We have to rely upon the best guesses.
While it is possible that Omicron may signal a time where Covid attenuates into a more endemic form, there is not yet conclusive evidence sufficient to declare the whole business over.
I wonder……. would you espouse policies as callous as you appear to here on CNS if you were the leader, and had everyone’s life in your hands?
Minimal deaths are not unimportant, but the virus and its consequences are not the only thing to consider. There are many other side effects that should be taken into account when deciding on policy to deal with Covid. Unfortunately, there seems to have generally been a single factor analysis, without considering other factors. Public policy should weigh up all the factors, in order to make the best decision, not just one.
A very welcome reversal of a bad decision. Now let’s see what can be done about appointing criminals to government boards.
When did CMR become a reputable news outlet? After multiple law suits it should not be used by our government for ANYTHING. The very name means “rumors”. It is bad enough that we have a radio station that uses it for headlines/news.
Agree. I dislike this ‘backdoor’ method of informing the public.
They didn’t.
It is not a reputable news outlet. Is it not a pathetic attempt to legitimize cmr in exchange for being Wayne’s personal spin Dr and turning the masses? Is the owner of these radio stations Don? Did Don assist in forming PACT? Will Sandra have her own radio show on one of these radio stations soon?
Shame on Don and Wayne.
Kenneth Bryan can legally travel?
Not to the USA!!!
Why??????
Him & several others. Sanctions!!!!
WORD ON THE STREET…politicians, lawyers, their families, clients & business associates. #PureMisbehavior
Uncle Sam doling out sanctions.
There may be whispers across the Islands’ about this, but ‘The People’ are well aware.
I’d be very curious to hear that story…..
Me too 😊, and ALL the other stories too. Kenny’s alleged U.S. travel ban is likely not entirely his fault. One must also consider the other Bad Actors assumed to have instigated or participated in this unexpected outcome.
The people have spoken, and the decision was made! one down, a couple hundred to go.
Spoke too soon, it appears now that Holland America cancelled the visit, not the CIG. When the story broke the cruise site had already updated the ship route to not only eliminate Cayman, but also revert back to the original route to Bahamas and Jamaica, then also added Cozumel to replace cayman. 0 down, many to go.
Good. Build back better. No more mass cruise tourism!
Build Back Better is the American infrastructure and stimulus package being revised in congress. Can’t you think of something yourself instead of biting our stuff? 😂
PACT and CMR are on a par when it comes to credibility in all fairness.
PACT surely chose to lie down in bed with fleas!
Kudos to the Clown Car for putting on the brakes short of the cliff, notwithstanding that this was a journey that never should have begun in the first place. The prime takeaway I can gather from this is that it goes to show–like the late but wonderfully humourous and street-wise Bracker Mr. Donald Lazzari was fond of saying regarding such situations–“Even a blind squirrel can find a nut every now and then”. I can envision Don looking down now and smiling.
Thank you, Mr. Panton for at last seeing the folly of inviting the ship to call at this time and withdrawing the invitation. CITA will likely not be pleased by your decision, but we both know that CITA have prostituted themselves for mammon ages ago. We can only hope against all odds that this difficult but wise decision marks not a serendipitous discovery of a nut, but a turn-around point for your vehicle. We should expect a similar withdrawal of ex-convict Edlin Miles invitation to membership in the Public Transport Board. By the way, please relate to Mr. K. Bryan that he need not be in any hurry to return from the UK. A few years would be too soon.
Agree with all you said. Bryan should have told us before he left; if it hadn’t yet been determined, he should NOT have left. Everyone has a right to visit their families, however those in public office have a higher obligation to put their own needs on the way back burner. That’s part of why they get paid the big bucks.
I remember Don. He was a class act, always affable, and funny and direct. Don would never talk or work behind a person’s back. I worked with him on a couple of jobs and learned a lot from him about confronting difficulties on the job in a productive manner. Donald could tell you to go to hell in such a friendly manner that you might end up thanking him for it. He lived life fully right up to the end. thank you friend of Donald.
makes zero sense like everything else pact does.
less incidence of covid on cruise ships than there in on the streets of cayman. fact.
This really was not a difficult decision, but it is made to sound as though it was. This really isn’t a government capable of governing. Cruise ships are notorious for carrying viruses even when there are no pandemics.
So Omicron Kenny negotiates a deal with the Nieuw Statendam to make Cayman their first port of call, which essentially means they reversed their cruise direction for him, then he cancels? Way to build a relationship Kenny. You are doing more for the cruise industry than any of us protesters ever could imagine.
I hope Panton realizes the bad decisions that KenKen has been making since in office. Make a change before he makes more, and protect his government from pubic ridicule.
Then he goes on holiday so would not even be here to do his greeting duty as Tourism Minister who set this up in first place.
Should have had to shake all their hands.
12:45 pm. Did you miss the word “harm” here – “You are doing more for the cruise industry than any of us protesters ever could imagine.”
A few thoughts –
1) It was a stupid idea to start with. We had community spread escalating and cruise ships were still having issues with outbreaks. Stick to the plan and get to the stage when we would perhaps be ready to restart cruise stops.
2) Why was this announced in this manner? It seems unplanned so when would it have been announced then? The arrival was only 5 days away for goodness sake.
3) These soft interviews with CMR, who is Wayne’s and PACT’s apparent spinmeister, are ok. But lets get breaking news done facing real journalists from CNS, the Compass etc.
4) Lastly I hear that Kenneth is off to London. So he abandoned us when he was expecting the cruise ship to arrive next week. No wonder Wayne was brave enough to announce the ship was not coming- he did not have to deal with Kenneth’s anger issues.
What a bunch of jokers.
Merry Christmas everyone.
Kenneth is spineless, time and time again he shows us that.
GTC voters are the most stupid of all voters, is any one there have any common sense ?
May pie that was the plan, to announce it softly …rather than make it appear as a cabinet decision. Now Kenneth can save his face and say he wasn’t involved in this decision.
Wayne found his balls, or maybe Holland America was going to cancel anyway.
As I wrote in another comment–and, as I find it a most apropos rejoinder to your comment–I repeat same here: “Even a blind squirrel can find a nut every now and then”.
“rejoinder”, and use of dashes; I sense a kindred spirit. I hope we can talk sometime. Be safe.
@5:49>>
Indeed, my friend. Thank you. Be safe.
Sandra Hill has his balls. The cruise ship cancelled on its own. But she and he are spinning it like it was their decision.
Unreal.
Can someone not address this blatant BS?
Report the news. Honestly. Without bias. Without ulterior motives.
So SICK of Sandra Catron Hill and her Facebook garbage page.
And why is nobody talking about that stupid filter she uses that makes her look like an insect. Ridiculous.
Maybe he can cancel the $40m ad spend, Turtle Farm II, various board appointments and god knows what else that hasn’t floated to the surface of the cesspit yet, whilst he has the chance…..
Sad state of affairs we are living with quite frankly. With very serious potential consequences.
Flying turtles on acid. $40million.
What family does Kenny have living in Britain?
CNS: His wife is British.
Hope someone is keeping track of his vacation days. Also, can we see the planning approval for the plywood eyesore that seems to be in the process of being resurrected (and will tear apart the house it is being attached to this time in the next storm)
LOL. Wayne had to wait for omicron Kenny to leave our shores before he could make the call.
So, Is Kenny the “Mr. COVID” the past & present Government has been remarking during their COVID-19 Press Conferences?
And, what are the conspiring circumsrances/force(s) that are to be blamed for aborting the restart of Caymans’ tourism industry?
Lots of questions and NO ANSWERS.