Cruise number limits lifted as Phase 2 rolled out
(CNS): Cabinet has granted approval for the COVID-related restrictions on cruise ship calls and passengers to be lifted in what officials described as a seamless transition to Phase two of the cruise tourism opening plan, which starts on Monday, 18 April. The Ministry of Tourism said in a release Wednesday that the decision was based on the “success of the reintroduction of cruise ships” during Phase one and it will continue until the Long Term Cruise Tourism Strategy is completed before the end of the year.
Ships will now revert to the normal process of liaising with the Port Authority Cayman Islands (PACI) for approval to dock, the ministry stated, adding that all health protocols from the first phase of reopening will remain in place.
These include the requirement for all cruise passengers and crew to be fully vaccinated in order to disembark the ship here, with children assuming the status of their parents, and no one who tests positive will be allowed ashore.
Despite an increase in caseloads recently, Interim Chief Medical Officer Dr Autilia Newton said there has not been a significant change in the number of new COVID-19 cases.
“The stringent health protocols implemented by the Cayman Islands Government exceed the guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and have been effective in safeguarding the health of residents,” she said. “Public Health’s analysis of cruise passenger data collected during Phase I have not found any evident link between the number of COVID-19 cases currently on Island and cruise passenger arrivals.”
While the decision has been welcomed by stakeholders, the need to maintain protocols, especially mask wearing for students at school, in order to accommodate tourism is causing a significant backlash from many parents, who believe the government should lift the mask mandate for children.
The increased congestion on the roads has also frustrated drivers, given the current traffic issues across Grand Cayman.
However, Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan said they were doubling down on the requirement for cruise passengers to wear masks following complaints and feedback that not all visitors from ships were following the protocols. Cruise lines have been requested to remind passengers of the mask mandate while onshore and inside premises.
“In our communication with the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), announcing the move to Phase II, the Cayman Islands government has asked cruise lines to step up their passenger communication to ensure that passengers are aware of the need to adhere to our on-island safety protocols, particularly social distancing and mask-wearing while indoors at retail outlets and restaurants,” Bryan said.
He welcomed the lifting of restrictions and said tourism stakeholders were reporting an increase in trade. That was supported by the Cayman Islands Tourism Association (CITA), whose vice president and watersports director, Troy Leacock, said there had been an immediate increase in business.
“Despite the lower ship occupancy and the restricted number of ships, there has been a surge in visitor activity. This indicates a very strong demand from the cruise industry and cruise guests for our Cayman activities,” he said.
Bryan added that while the surge in business was good for tourism and the country as a whole, the government would continue to monitor the global trends regarding COVID-19.
“Even though things are going well, as the sector moves to Phase II we will remain vigilant in our monitoring of global trends, particularly with respect to COVID-19 health protocols to ensure that our people stay protected,” the minister said.
For information on cruise ship arrivals, visit the Port Authority Cayman Islands website here.
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I will ask again.Whatever happened to my question way back when.Has anyone ever thought of what is our visitor carrying capacity STAYOVER VISITORS/CRUISE VISITORS.
When do they announce the new cruise berth?
8.29, soon come.
We’re waiting for Mac to conclude his previous deal with the Chinese.
With his UDP gang back in charge, and Kenny waiting for the crumbs to fall off Mac’s plate, it won’t be long.
In the face of stratospherically rising inflation in Cayman in all areas, everyone should be thankful we have cruise tourism returning . Just look at your grocery costs the last month. Don’t expect CIG to do anything to mediate the current cost of living.
And cruise ship tourism is going to help ost of living how exactly?
Why are you removing ‘likes’ and hiding them CNS?
CNS: If your default reaction to every change is that government, the media, the global elitists, the Lodge, George Soros or all of the above are hiding something, you’re a conspiracy theorist. Maybe take a deep breath and consider the possibility that there are other reasons.
The old thumb function was slowing down the site, especially the backend (administration), to where it was almost unusable. I tried a number of things to fix it but in the end, I had to delete it and load a new system, which I did Sunday night. It looks much like the old one but it’s lighter and hopefully there are no bugs. I’ve also added a function that truncates very long comments. Looking for feedback on that.
Either get rid of masks altogether or fine the tourists not wearing them. It’s ridiculous that kids are expected to sit in masks all day and people coming off the floating petri dishes don’t have to. Hardly anyone on the tour busses is wearing a mask and they’re also getting on public busses without masks.
Fine Sabrina for not wearing one. In the Health Centre.
The kids wear masks cos the teachers wont take vaccine. Nothing to do with tourism!
Ok, we get it. Despite the wishes of the majority, cruise tourism stays. The dump might get fixed. Immigration isn’t going to change and free handouts will never stop.
How about we focus on two things that 99% of Caymanians and residents will support:
1. Get rid of travel Cayman. Yes it creates jobs but we can redeploy these people in a way that doesn’t inconvenience the public (it will just cost them money).
2. Fix the traffic problems. The money is there, it needs to be redeployed from giving handouts for nothing to paying people to pave the roads.
So does this mean we can also get rid of the requirement to apply to Travel Cayman to fly in? If we are able to allow thousands more untested cruise ship passengers who have had their vaccination status checked by the cruise lines, it makes no sense that airlines also can’t do this.
This has got to be a joke! The rest of PACT are bigger fools than I thought to allow Kenny to do this.They do not care about the health of our local population. All about the money! May 2025 please soon come!
For sure it’s the Florida Caribbean Cruiseship Association that rules our waves and not the Governor.
It’s the Jamaican taxi drivers that are calling the shots.
Kenny needs their votes to stay in his overpaid job.
@10:09 am. I think I love you! Well said.
It doesn’t what government is in there will be always cruise ships coming here.for decade caymanian people depends on tourisim and the cruise ships was always a part of it sorry for those who don’t like to see those cruise ships then maybe you are at the wrong place.
No the cruise ships are in the wrong place🤔🤔🤔
Did you get your education in the Cayman Islands? Yes? That’s part of why the island is dependant on cruise ship people, because most of the people here are so poorly educated that they couldn’t get a proper job.
The FCCA cruise ship members bring the wrong sort of customers, offering congestion, repelling stay over and adding limited value to a short list of Caymanians. We should be courting the higher-end liners with smaller more luxurious ships, and high net worth passenger manifests. We need to decide if we want to be Cancun or St Barts?
I haven’t encountered even one person who is in favour of the return of the cruise ships. Of course, I never talk with MPs. I recognise that government makes money per head that steps off the ships and that they have missed that in the budget. Also know that there are Caymanians whose income is dependent upon them.
I don’t think the Cayman Islands and cruise ships are a good fit. I think it ultimately costs us more in quality of life and environment than it is worth. Of course, just add my worthless vote to everyone else’s. The next election will give us a “new” choice of those who oppose the current Cabinet. Rinse and repeat.
Our government is obviously in favor of it and it is composed of people that we know. If you now any of the elected officials then you know at least one person in favor. The last election was the one that was going to change things and I ask how has that worked out for us?
I am afraid the next election will give us the chance to elect “more of the same.”
Sad but true.
But don’t expect the MP for tourism to care.
Smaller premium cruise ships on a case by case, not the FCCA cabal of mass volume bottom tier. For years the wrong people have been choosing our customers for us, and for motivations that don’t add up. It will be up to voters to change what’s broken – by petition if necessary.
THIS IS BS! Gov had to know that they were going to move to phase II months ago and would have done it regardless of what the Covid cases are. Cruise ships would have announced their schedule months ago.
I never buy into conspiracy theories, but something truly is amiss. Why government continues to dismiss the will of the majority of Caymanians for the sake of a few only confirms to me that there is something dodgy going on.
Why is a bloody cruise ship being allowed to port on Easter Sunday?!!
Heathens!
Why are bloody planes landing on Easter sunday!
YUP
Cruise tourists not wearing masks should be ticketed for the offense, with the charge being levied against the cruise ship company to pass the responsibility for collections to them. If they’re so eager to bring us the unwashed masses, let’s at least get more than the meager dollars spent on trinkets to offset their negative impact on the public infrastructure and experience.
Mask wearing is absurd. Quarantine of negative people is even more absurd and probably illegal. The interim minister of health isn’t fooling anyone by claiming credit for any covid management that made any difference whatsoever. We had all of the protocols in place when we led the world in infections. The rise and fall of covid will continue notwithstanding the health ministers galling god complex.
unlike many others here i don’t hate cruise ships…..but an unlimited amount is bonkers and goes to show how little real talent there is in cig.
Very few tourists wear a mask, but our kids are forced to wear masks on busses and at school all day. The ministry just speaks empty words about tourist enforcement, they know they can’t enforce it. There is absolutely no science here it is simply politicians exercising power over our kids. END IT NOW!
What is clear for all to see is that cruise passengers are more important to PACT than Caymanians are.
Fire, ready, aim more of the same from PACT. No strategy, no increased compensation for tour operators just more of the over fed, damn near dead crowd. A great opportunity to reset cruise tourism and Kenny pissed it away.
Why would Kenny wnt to reset the revenue allocation between his buddies at the Florida cruise ship association and the tour operators, when he can keep them both happy by just chucking tax payer money at the latter?
Kenny can’t think past his pocket.
Please do not overdo the number of ships we can’t handle the madness this will cause to traffic woes and other overcrowding problems.
Spoiler alert.
Traffic congestion worsens and nothing will be done to alleviate it.
Mr Bryan is just like the stakeholders the Love of the almighty dollar and not for his people.
The traffic issues will be even worse, and like the weather radae, it too will not be addressed.
#WORLDCLASS
Perfect timing! Covid is spreading again in America, traffic congestion will worsen, and frustration of drivers will grow.
Welcome to another day in Absurdistan!
Fine. But now explain why my family have to jump through expensive testing hoops to come home from an isolated holiday in the mountains?!!
Are you seeking an explanation from PACT? Sorry luv they won’t come up with one.
Cruise ship tourism Phase 2, air travel Phase 0.
Bit of a joke, innit ?
I just hate them. 90% of the folk barely spend a penny and are trash. There, I’ve said it. They suck
Well said, 9:36. Their net contribution to Cayman is zero when one takes all factors such as low spend contribution to the local economy, overcrowding, degradation of the environment and infrastructure and enrichment of the foreign owners and staff of duty free shops/tat suppliers into the equation.
summed it up quite well.
I agree with you.
9:36…did you mother ever teach you that if you have nothing nice to say, then you don’t say anything at all?
I’m sure you all aren’t shopping at Saks or Oscar de la Renta when you come to the US or Fortnum & Mason in the UK.
Please remind the general public as well as the Public Transport operators (buses and taxis), that all passengers are supposed to wear masks.
I see Majestic Tours, the yellow bus with no signage and I believe the Kelly’s big white tour bus all packed with cruise passengers, very few had on mask! Saw these same buses at different points as I did my daily commute.
And in the morning, locals go on public buses and do not have on a mask. The driver doesn’t say a word. This is against the law, as the passenger (young female worked Fosters at gets off at the Ritz), had no mask and was talking with another Foster employee during her journey. I had a sore throat, but I motioned, and the driver and the passenger acted as if nothing was wrong.
Think about how absurd your remarks are. These people are all living together on a cruise ship, how is getting on a bus together going to affect anybody not connected to the cruise ship. The only people that it may affect are the tour guides and drivers, who should be vaccinated and wearing their own masks, because if we are to believe the mask zealots such as yourself, protect adequately against infection.
The purpose of masking is help catch and contain majority of aerosol droplets from respiration and, paired with distancing, help protect others from transmission of virus to them. Self-assessing asymptomatic risk to others is not yet up for discretion.
They should be wearing masks because they could infect the bus driver and tour guide who then pass it on to other people in the community. As you already know, masks protect other people and not the person wearing it.
The Long Term Cruise Tourism Strategy link in this story leads to the story PACT seeks consultants for new cruise policy. Can’t blame CNS for truth in reporting this dog chasing tail story. If CIG is going to fully open the cruise gates, can you at least charge by the pound rather than by the head?
Does the long term cruise strategy say anything about controlling the numbers?
All BS, folks! I had no idea that my children are forced to wear a mask for the sake of tourism. So why have they been wearing them since before the ships returned?
As for tourists wearing masks, BS again! I passed 6 tour busses this morning and almost no tourist was masked. There is no way masking is going to happen.
Time for people to get rid of the disgusting germ factories attached to their faces.
Right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing. More politically fatal misfires from a punch-drunk one term regime. So sad to watch it happen to us again.
I didn’t realize that we elected the FCCA to run our tourism product.
But I must request permission for my Caymanian family to return home?
Why are we requiring air passengers to test 24 hours before, but cruise passengers can test up to 3 days prior to boarding the ship in Miami ,some 6-7 days before arriving in Cayman?
Not too mention no one is wearing a mask in the shuttle buses. We should be treating our on island residents better than cruise ship visitors…not vice versa. Time to remove pre-flight test for vaccinated travelers given lack of timely testing for cruise visitors. The stay over visitors and residents are more important.
Why are we employing all those people in Travel Cayman to vet those arriving by air but let the cruise sheep wander ashore as long as they are not coughing and sneezing? The number of West Bay and Travel Cayman staff votes and merchant family money in the cruise ship travel business is why.
Exactly when will that requirement be lifted? It seems that the vaccinated tourists are getting more benefits than the vaccinated Caymanians/ residents.
Indeed – as a visitor from the U.K. I am required to have a negative test the day before I fly, yet most passengers on the BA flight will be disembarking in Nassau, which only requires a test within 72 hours! I guess they have different air for us to breathe on board 🤷♀️😂