Cruise vote illogical without details, CPR founder argues
(CNS): One of the founders of the non-profit group Cruise Port Referendum Cayman (CPR), which is campaigning for a ‘no’ vote in the upcoming referendum on the development of cruise berthing facilities in the Cayman Islands, said the government’s decision to put the question to voters without giving them any idea of what those facilities would look like, how or where they would be built, how much they would cost or how they would be funded is illogical.
Johann Moxam, the chairman of the Cayman Islands Airports Authority board and one of the founding members of the CPR campaign group, which secured a people’s referendum on the PPM administration’s cruise project proposal, challenged Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan on the issue at a local conference on Friday.
Moxam, Bryan and Joseph Gaskins, the regional public affairs director for Disney Cruise Lines, appeared on a discussion panel led by Marla Dukharan at the Royal Fidelity CEO about the costs and benefits of the cruise industry for Cayman.
Bryan said he was concerned that the cruise sector here is in decline. In addition to the loss of government revenue, he said the lives of the Caymanian people are also being impacted and that without piers, that decline will get worse until the sector disappears.
But with no real cost-benefit analysis on what the decline of the cruise calls really means to Cayman, Moxam challenged the idea that the Cayman Islands Government should put the question to the people when it has no plans to offer and has not even outlined, let alone detailed, what building cruise facilities means.
With cruise revenue only accounting for a small percentage of government earnings and as a sector that employs a high number of permit holders rather than locals, Moxam said the question of how much the CIG is prepared to invest in cruise tourism for what returns must be answered before asking the people to vote on the matter.
“You can’t expect logical human beings to make a decision without any information. That’s illogical,” Moxam said. “Details and information are more important than anything else.” Without the data, no one can realistically expect voters to support cruise infrastructure “when no one understands yet what this looks like”.
Moxam pointed out that the project proposed by the PPM six years ago was conservatively estimated to cost about $250 million. Today, that could be more than $400 million, even $500 million, since no one knows what the government has planned, he said.
The Association for Cruise Tourism (ACT), which is pushing for a ‘yes’ vote, want to accommodate as many new mega-ships as many days a week as possible. However, any project, even one small pier, would be costly. Dukharan, who led the discussion, asked the minister for details on the businesses that have lost out, but the minister simply said that if you go to George Town, you can see all the businesses that have closed.
In reality, much of the loss of business in town over the last few years was caused by the long and painful George Town Revitalization Initiative. In addition, COVID took its toll on the business community in the capital, and a number of businesses have relocated to Camana Bay.
The minister noted some figures published by the ESO that indicate the number of Caymanians who work in hospitality, largely based on who took a government stipend during the pandemic lockdown. However, all of those workers are employed in jobs that cater to both the resident population and overnight guests.
The government has not yet produced any figures on how many Caymanian small business owners and local employees are dependent entirely on cruise tourism or whether a rebalancing of the sector might be more cost-effective than spending hundreds of millions on piers.
All of Cayman’s tourism, including cruise, only makes up a small percentage of government revenue and the country’s GDP. Cayman’s offshore sector is its economic engine, contributing around 60% of government revenue and half of the better-paying jobs without taking any money away from the public purse other than funding required to regulate the sector.
Moxam said that, given the size of cruise tourism’s contribution to the public purse, jobs and GDP, it was mad for the government to be even thinking about spending as much as half a billion dollars on cruise facilities because it would never get a return on its money.
On several occasions, Dukharan stressed the need for data to support the government’s plans for the project and pressed the minister to confirm that the socioeconomic studies would all be done before the government embarked on any project of this magnitude if the answer to the referendum question was ‘yes’.
CPR will be hosting a rally tomorrow evening at the Constitution Hall in George Town, where Dukharan will be reporting on her latest research relating to the cost of cruise tourism versus the benefits. She will be joined by reef expert Dr Tom Goreau, who will be talking about the impact of cruise berthing facilities on the marine habitats around the region.
Meanwhile, the CIG has recently launched an information hub on all three referendum questions. The information on the cruise question includes speeches by the minister and data that shows the decline in cruise arrivals and why the government should build at least one pier.
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Johann Moxam said:
“…the government’s decision to put the question to voters without giving them any idea of what those facilities would look like, how or where they would be built, how much they would cost or how they would be funded is illogical.”
Dear Mr. Moxam,
Silly, silly, silly you! Expecting our government to do what is logical is like expecting an ape to do calculus.
Logic is far far above and beyond their exorbitantly extravagant pay grade.
Kenny “The Windmill” Bryan has promised Joey “Nascar” Who that he can bring his major sponsors port to life
(For the slow – whichever way the wind blows. You can’t possibly need elaboration on Nascar outfits)
Is it true that at last night’s candidates forum that Michael Myles announced that if elected the CINP would proceed with borrowing money to build a cruise ship mega-port in GT harbour? I am having trouble with believing that but I would like to know what was announced.
It wasn’t directly stated but it was very heavily implied that they consider that a part of their mandate. With that revelation from him, my vote goes right back to Sabrina. It’s a shame, because I consider him better in every other way, but I will not vote for you if your party is willing to destroy one of the few remaining natural features of our island to the benefit of so few Caymanians (1500 at best, and most of those are “Caymanians” – sorry, not sorry).
They can’t give us real numbers because as we all know that cruise tourism benefits a small number of Caymanians that employ thousands of WP holders which destroys their narrative.
The only real numbers are contained in the bags of cash being pushed across the table to get this built.
Kenny said go.look at all the closed stores in town. What he forgot was the so called Revitalization that has turned GT central into a snarled dust bowl for the last 4 years. How much impact has that had on the businesses downtown?
Mr Dart will save us all. Honorable Bryant, you just let Dart, AmmeriCaribe and the Chinese build us a wonderful and fantastic cruise facility. We need it now for all the terrific construction jobs it will give us.
So we have to incur a $450,000,000. Debt to help merchants in GT to sell more T shirts and cakes..to have our roads jammed with Carnival cattle.. our public beach infested by higglers and drug pushers.
GT is too small to handle what Kenny and Mac want from the Chinese.
Don’t vote any PPM.
What use are shops if shoppers have nowhere to Park..?
The genius PWD “designer” amateur draftsmen should be fired for incompetent waste of public funds.
Just the arrogant way KB is sitting says it all, get him out of here!
Because he knows they will ram it thru because we need it.
He is an uneducated lout.. and shows it.
If a dock is pursued and actually ever gets off the bottom, Cayman Govt’ shouldn’t be spending a dollar to subsidize multi-billion dollar Cruise corporations to construct it.
Vote NO! KB is using scare mongering tactics to win over votes for this pie in the sky project. Anything he touches fails. The national Transport system, the Barbados /CAL route, the Scranton Park, placing homeless families in hotel rooms, purchase of ocean property close to lobster pot for locals to utilized and erosion of Seven Mile Beach to name a few. This project will bankrupt this country will destroy our environment.
But his favorite realtor will benefit.
There is NOTHING here to offer cruise passengers. The seven mile beach is gone, it’s expensive as hell, and they get all the food they can possibly eat on the ship already.
Even with berthing I wouldn’t get off the ship in Cayman, to get on a bus and fight traffic to go see turtles in a tank. Forget about the port. Fix the beaches and the dump and then worry about stayover tourism
A reminder here that most cruise ships sell heavily discounted and tax free jewelry onboard. Last one I was on announced they’d beat local prices at all 5 ports.
I disagree. Cayman has much to offer guests and residents. We have nearly 100,000 pursuing Cayman’s “nothing”, and making it their principal home residence. What previous governments haven’t done well is understand who our customers are, who they should be, what they are really after, and how that is delivered – fine tuning the experience mission via a cohesive destination plan. That plan, might still include a different type/echelon of cruise guest, but not mass-tourism herds and destructive convenience infrastructure. The Cayman Islands are not reliant on tourism, nor are we hungry to be a fully-owned “Half Moon” or “Castaway” Cay as the FCCA prefer to imagine. We have the self determination to be entirely more selective if that aligns with the core mission setting. It needs to be comprehensively reviewed. Same review exercise is necessary for Financial Services too, if we’re being honest.
Numbers don’t lie… The Port website shows about 157K passengers in Dec 2023, 166K for December 2024 and already booked for 170K in 2025…
Note that it is no coincidence that the cruise companies come and shake the tree during the summer months when the numbers are way lower and concerns running rife with the vendors as the experience the slow season.
They will NOT send more ships or passengers during these slow months – they know the cruise industry focuses on Europe and Alaska then.
They may send more in the winter months, but if the schedules are right, they are already meeting the demand with the smaller ships. They just want us to fund their economies of scale larger ships for their convenience.
Believe me, there is NO loyalty or benevolency in the cruise industry…No cruise piers will change that attitude just ask our neighbors in Jamaica.
VOTE NO for cruise berthing piers
VOTE NO for Kenneth Bryan
VOTE NO for McKeeva Bush
VOTE NO for Joey Hew
VOTE NO for Foolio Solomon
VOTE NO for Jon-Jon Seymour
VOTE NO for Ju-Ju from the Brac
VOTE NO for UPM
VOTE NO for PPM
VOTE NO for ACT
VOTE NO for cruise berthing piers
Vote PPM PPM PPM all the way. We will reap all the great benefits!
As I’m writing this, this comment got 38 thumbs up and only 3 thumbs down. If the overwhelming opinion is that these people are bad for the country, then how the hell do they keep getting re-elected??
One word .. giveaways.
Because the current electoral system only requires you to fool enough people in your tiny district to get elected and some MPs making doing so their full time job.
Kenneth’s and ACT’s campaign today is even worse than the PPM’s efforts back in 2018-2019
No thanks I am voting NO
In that case, No Rum cake for You..
After the failed Verdant Isle fiasco, the stakeholders are back with a shiny new tactic. This time, instead of suits and corporate presentations, we’re getting the desperate faces of Caymanians used to sell the idea of a cruise pier. But let’s not kid ourselves—this is just a calculated push to expand the Royal Watler Terminal, conveniently tied to a China Harbour Engineering deal, all under the guise of “public interest.”
The 2006 Auditor General’s Report laid it bare: the Royal Watler project was riddled with governance failures. Yet, here we are again, being asked to trust the same flawed system with $400M+ of public money.
Key Findings from the Report:
• Poor planning and project management: No clear strategy, no financial assessment. Just winging it with taxpayer dollars.
• Flawed procurement process: Overcharges, poorly negotiated contracts, and deals that heavily favored contractors.
• Lack of oversight: The Port Authority Board sidelined management, leaving the project vulnerable to mismanagement.
• Overestimated costs: The terminal could have been built for $4.2 million less—but why save money when you can waste it?
Now we’re being told to trust this same system—without a plan, a budget, or even a basic financial strategy—to deliver a $400M+ pier project? And let’s be honest: any politician pushing a no-info referendum at this point is either clueless or on the take.
Without transparency, accountability, or a shred of competence, this will just be the Royal Watler disaster 2.0—on steroids.
Cayman deserves better than this rinse-and-repeat approach to “progress.”
PPM cannot be trusted ever again
Two words, Mount Trashmore
CPR continues to act in the best interests of this island, and we are so grateful for that!
I wonder if some officials in cig have already received their kickback payments, and that is why they are so desperate for a dock?
Joey Hew and Kenny Bryant are going to bankrupt the Cayman Islands due to their massive egos, tiny brains, vanity and general stupidity.
They, and others, are certainly trying their best. Everyone knows how to stop them hwoever.
Why? “knowledge is power” – so of course there won’t be any details….the plebs might vote differently from the (intended/gerrymandered) result, if the facts were (widely) known!!!!
This story is basically how CIG runs. There is no rhyme or reason for decision making as the auditor general constantly reports.
This is all deliberate by the the Deputy Premier Bryan and the PPM. We must vote no!
The lack of data is exactly what they want.
Too much detail makes it too complex to bring to us woters.
A simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to an idea and give them a blank cheque is what they really want amigos.
It is a recipe for disaster for the country
It is clear that Kenneth and his inept cabinet colleagues have no intention of sharing the design, cost, or financing details of the cruise port project. Without this crucial information, every voter must vote “No,” regardless of whether they support the concept of piers. Approving such an expensive and potentially destructive project without transparency is reckless, especially given the risks of further damaging the western coastline and pushing the country toward financial ruin.
While Kenneth may excel at organizing community events and overspending on parks and wishing wells, these skills do not translate to crafting effective national policy or strategy. His policies are incoherent, rambling, and lack the vision required for sound decision-making.
Adding to the concern is the Premier’s singular obsession with fast-tracking the high school in the Brac. She appears willing to overlook reckless spending and poor decision-making as long as her pet project moves forward—a project that reeks of political kickbacks and shady dealings. Her unwillingness to govern with the nation’s broader interests in mind is alarming. While her approach may benefit her small constituency, it is disastrous for the rest of the country.
Who Pays for 3.5 Million Cruise Passengers?
More ships = More strain on our infrastructure. But where’s the investment to support it?
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The future conglomerate government will do as they wish, with our without our collective vote. Our voice grows continually dimmer.
The minister is out of his depth and lost at sea on this one
Poor Kenneth he just doesn’t get it. His reasoning and temperament are suspect
It was not a fair fight because it showed what mature leadership looks like compared to the desperation and petulance of the current government and the ppm.
Well done CPR and especially Johan Moxam
Kenny was outmatched after Moxam’s opening analysis
You were brilliant Mr. Moxam and spoke to the reality of this matter. Minister Bryant is full of hope but no real plan or information to help the public vote in favor of this project.
They are prepared to give all the leverage to the cruise lines who will hold all the cards. This mess can be avoided if logical and sound analysis are used to make a decision.
Smoke and mirrors.
NO!!! to the cruise port development!!!!