Ships diverted from Havana may call on Cayman
MSC Armonia in Cuba
(CNS): Cruise lines are having to make adjustments to the itineraries for dozens of ships after the sudden change to US government policy on travel to Cuba. Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Holland America, Seabourn, NCL and MSC have all been impacted by the Trump administration’s new restrictions on Americans travelling to the neighbouring island, forcing cruise lines to remove the destination from itineraries and re-route ships. As a result, Grand Cayman could be replacing some of those Havana calls, increasing passenger numbers here just as the slow season begins.
As various cruise lines shuffle their itineraries, MSC has already confirmed that George Town will be one of the destinations that will replace Havana for the MSC Armonia.
Other cruise lines may follow suit, which would boost passenger numbers to the Cayman Islands, making up for the loss of some ships to destinations that had been dropped as a result of the 2017 hurricanes.
According to industry media reports, the cruise lines were taken by surprise, with Norwegian Cruise stating that they shared the “disappointment and frustration” of their guests “caused by this unexpected change”, and were “surprised by this sudden modification to policy”.
The Democrats wants to let in all the people ( plenty of them are criminals) that costing the U.S. tax payers millions, Trump is trying to stop it, if these people was law abiding, they would not be trying to enter the country illegally . . Would you like if thousands of people was entering Cayman illegally and costing Caymanians millions. Would you like it, tell the truth now.
Fixed the dump by reducing our own consumption of garbage and stop listening to our own idiotic government policy about population expansion. Reducing the importation of all forms Garbage being now brought to this little island Cayman stop voting for those politicians who support this rubbish.
If anything this gives cayman a couple years to get the port built before Cuba takes off and leaves us behind.
I would like to be left behind.
Missing the point is that, The Cuban Government put a substantial amount of effort and dollars into being prepared for the influx of tourism that now has upped and (in this case) gone elsewhere.
Nothing preventing an event to happen here that would cause cruise ships to stop coming on a days notice.
The justification for the port was explicitly “because cruise numbers will fall if we don’t”. Looks like the opposite is true. Why not spend the saved $300m on:
– Education for Caymanians, focused on growth industries e.g. tech
– Making the waterfront a truly memorable place
– Moving the commercial port elsewhere, leading to…
– Redevelopment of the old waterfront into new facilities with waterside restaurants
– Protect and enhance the environment to ensure it remains our main draw & crowd pleaser
– Enhancing every aspect of the experience of visiting Cayman to ensure that every cruise line leaves it on the itinerary because customers demand it
That should serve the cruisers, turn cruisers into stayovers and build employment in a much wider spectrum of industries, not just the narrow one that is cruisers.
What about the DUMP?
Any major construction project without fixing the Dump first is criminal.
You are like a broken record. The Dump is good for education, at least the education taking place at the International school as pupils spend most of the day indoors to avoid the noxious fumes.
But 2:16, you forgot moving Mount Trashmore. Every cruise line passenger can see Mount Trashmore from their decks. A disgrace by any standard.
I did forget it. Sorry. Must have been upwind of it when I commented! It should be on the list, along with roads. $300m goes a long way. Just think what we could do if we didn’t spend it on one vanity project that gambles on one suspect outcome.
No. Not MOVE, but mitigate. Reform it. Keep it where it is and not move it to a residential district. A lined pit will fail as they always do. Mitigation in situ is the only reasonable and sustainable solution.
It would be financially impossible but I propose we just pick it up, strap it to a rocket and launch it into the Sun’s orbit
Bermuda used to drop everything in the ocean.
I don’t care what visitors see. I care how it affects my health and health and wellbeing of my unborn yet grandchildren.
And your suggestion to solve the issue (moving it away from your backyard to my backyard is not a solution).
Exactly! We cannot do the above without a dock in GT!
CIG long ago maxed-out the credit cards, can’t retire existing principal coming due this year, and can’t even build roads without secret negotiations and giveaways with Dart. There is no $300mln or any extra money.
The Dump and education come as #1. If you read the article about how special needs students are literally abandoned by your education system you must ask yourself if there is a connection (to the toxic effects of the dump and children’s health) and how in a country with its own constitution education for all is not guaranteed?
Not completely abandoned. If you are well connected or a senior civil servant your special needs child’s expenses are generously covered.
If the cruise lines are the ones ultimately financing the new port/dock, then there’s really not any money to divert to other projects if it’s not constructed.
We don’t have 300M that’s the problem. And I am against the port let me make it clear. But we don’t have a penny in this equation unless there is no more tendering. It’s not like we have 300M in the bank for this idea or that idea, it would be a like-for-like swap. On the point of priorities of course, everything we have should be going to other things, domestic concerns that improve the lives of Caymanians and the experiences of tourists. But it isn’t correct to say that we have that much money to spend on other things; even if we stopped paying tendering fees we wouldn’t have anywhere near that much. This is only possible with cruise line funding; it’s their money.
MCGA
I am not against Cruise ship business in Cayman . But do we see what can happen in that kind of Tourism? Can that happen with the stay over Tourism ? if Cayman Islands Government continues to keep a good relationship with all Countries /Governments , no.
Trump won’t be around for ever!
How do you know that Trump won’t be around much longer ? and how do you know that the next President will be better than Trump .? You should pay attention to the Cayman politicians USA presidents are over your head.
Ron 3:27
I don’t think you understand politics at all. Trump is playing the populist card but that only works as long as his policies benefit the voters and he keeps his nose clean. If the wheels start to fall off they’ll dump him like a used Kleenex.
In any case the USA has a two-term limit – it was introduced in 1952 by the 22nd Amendment – so even if he wins the election next year he’ll only be around until 2024. It’s also worth remembering that at the time of his inauguration he was the oldest US President in history (just beating Ronald Reagan) and he turns 73 next week. A lot of things can happen when you reach that age.
As Harold Wilson is often quoted as saying, ‘A week is a long time in politics,’ and there are quite a few weeks to go before Trump can safely look forward to a second term.
Sorry, typo in my 9:53. The 22nd Amendment was 1951 not 1952.
Ron, anyone would be better than a trump.
my cat would do a better job
Would be more appropriate to say Trump is way over his head.
Just until Nov 2024. 😂😂
Lord help us
One Cuban ship called on EE just a few days ago!
Trump is the best thing to happen to the Cayman Islands economy in the last 20 years! Change my mind.
Where’s the LOL button?
Yes, let us rejoice in other people’s misfortune!
Changing your mind is impossible, TrumpStans don’t want to hear anything outside of the echo chamber…
Just wait until we find out about all those Trump numbered companies domiciled in Cayman. Can assure you we will have a black eye.
Aren’t you forgetting about the Clintons and a few others?
4:55 Just wait until Trump delves into Cayman’s Offshore Banking of his US residents.
7:33 LOL.
Should be an easy change for the cruise companies, as most of these itineraries had dropped Cayman to add Cuba in the last couple of years.
Or the Cayman islands show them 3 fingers figure.
Actually, these were much smaller specialized ships with just hundreds of passengers, and featured historical seminars onboard. All were on a very tight leash while ashore, with an assigned politburo officer shepherding the “economic opportunity” cruise passengers around. There were no zip lines, roaring jet skis, or stingray experiences.
Well the history buffs are going to be delighted with what Cayman has to offer, compared with Cuba. Bawling taxi drivers who can’t drive and who will one day cause a major RTA incident; t shirts; horrible beach experience; and, er, stingrays. That’s it, really.
Nobody takes them to the falling-down botanical park or Pedro castle or the caves nowadays, do they?
stay over visitors are what we need…not the cruisers!
No more friggin cruisers. Enough is enough. Let’s not lower the quality of life any further in Cayman.
You’re so right if only we owned/controlled the hotels, watersports companies, restaurants, and the concierges at the various hotels!
Ross Perot once spoke of that “giant sucking sound”.
The park is one of the better things here. Glad it isn’t over run with cruisers…peace would be lost.
That was true in the beginning, but now the larger 3,000+ passenger ships regularly call on Cuba and Cayman is the most likely port to be dropped. I know because I was book on a cruise scheduled to stop in Cayman and the itinerary was changed to stop in Havana with Cayman dropped.
I doubt it, and definitely not the case for the foreseeable.
Another reason not to destroy our harbour unless and until it is necessary.
it has been necessary for years
There is a single ship in the entire region that does not come here because we do not have piers. In the next decade, I think a couple more will be added. All the other ships will continue to be a size which is capable of being tendered, with no environmental destruction. On what basis do these corporations and tourists deserve or need to have our harbour destroyed in the name of serving them better. If these piers are built all you will see is the same size ships we already have docking at them. We will simply have made parking spaces for business we already get. So what is the point of it – according to Billy Adam it’s to give tourists another hour on shore so that a second tour group can come to the Turtle Farm, which hemorrhages money no matter what you do with it. The justifications for this project are so unbelievably thin, you can barely see them.
Grand Cayman tourism capacity is already stretched too thin. It might be at the breaking point. Cayman residents and environment are overwhelmed already.
Say NO to the extra ships. Don’t turn Grand Cayman into a zoo.
Too late. Have you been to the Sandbar lately?? Overrun.
Most of it caused by one certain company taking over 80 people at a time on their catamarans when they agreed years ago that they would not do sandbar tours so as to leave that to the smaller outfits
The amount of Stingray city’s can increase. All you dummies have to do is start feeding in another area. Stingrays are like any other animals.
Why not, we have plenty of animals running around lose without counting the tourists?
Great! We’ll get increased cruise tourism without the hassle, expense and detrimental/catastrophic/irreversible/economy crippling effects of the proposed cruise berthing facility! Result!!!
Now you will have lots of people who are pro port saying, see, there’s a reason for the port – more tourists. However it just reinforces the fact that you are spending tens of millions of dollars for just one type of consumer – the cruise tourist, who may or may not get off the ship to spend a few hours here. You are basically at the mercy of so many factors outside of your control. Much better to spend the money on expanding the airport ( again) to allow for all sorts of different consumers: tourist; business; medical and resident to name but a few.
Thank you Mr Trump.
Just FYI: Cuba has the beat healthcare in the world. That’s why they float on rubber rafts to spread the news.
beat healthcare? what is that?
It’s funky
Health care doesn’t exist in the western world. Only sickcare. The more pills is dispensed, the more organs removed, the more mammograms taken, the the better it is for so called doctors, for more sick people get ill.
So maybe in Cuba they actually have some elements of healthcare which is based on prevention. Humans survived for millennia without laser surgeries, CAT scans, vaccinations, antidepressants and teeth whitening.
Vaccinations? They are preventive too, and without them millions of humans DIDN’T survive.
may be nature’s way to maintain balance?
They might have the best health care without drugs in the world. A bizarre situation for a place with such great healthcare.
lol!
Keep playing, the USA is better than before!
We better get the dock build extra quick then if we are going to get extra traffic. There is no way the tenders can handle what we already have much less more.
Or Law of supply and demand steps in. The more people would want to buy my apples, the higher price I would demand. I won’t bent over backwards to help these new customers.
We routinely have 5-7 ships carrying 4-5000 passengers each in town. How do we land more people if we fix the maximum number of boats to 4? There is only one boat of the 6000 pass category, and no more planned for Western Carib on public ship building order book. #math
routinely? you have been to town lately huh? best case 2-3 on “busy days” half the week there is 1 or none.
I agree10:21, who are they trying to kid? If they lose Cruise ships, town will be a ghost town. If there is so much ships, why did the previous owners sell Island companies to Dart? Why is GT office buildings for sale on Mary Street? Harbour Dr? Stayover tourists don’t need anymore bars and Restaurants in town. Thats why they complain about taxis. If there wasn’t any car rentals like Bermuda, Taxi prices would be lower. Plus Gov’t keeps adding more and more Taxis and Busses every month.
What do you think if we could get a franchise like Albertson’s or Sam’s club? Food prices would go down. But it’s based on population. Otherwise prices go up. Small populations in Cayman Islands
thats why they are not here.
The buildings on Mary street are for sale because the companies built their own buildings. The others moved to Camana Bay with the rest of the sheep.
Cayman doesn’t need anymore franchises. We already have Costulss which is a franchise. It is just not Florida based. You really should travel further than Florida…..
Go to the CI Port website and download the bookings schedule.
come on down, we’re going to get this awesome port soon 😀
6:58pm aren’t you happy with that , but do you see how little power the Cruise line have on destinations.
Honestly, how can any observer of recent USA foreign policy be surprised?
And it’s the right policy given the situation in Venezuela where Cuba is backing the democratically ousted Maduro regime
Correct. I’m only surprised that the liners are surprised.
The US has spent decades ousting democratically elected leaders around the world when it suits them so I’m not sure they care too much about that, what they do care about is oil…
Venezuela- democratically elected leaders – lol.
Unless you are from Venezuela what do you know?
No need to thank us, it was our pleasure.
The USA has the power to economically cripple the economy of most all of the Caribbean islands/territories.
Can you imagine if President Trump suddenly decides to implement a ban on US citizens travelling by cruise ships to Grand Cayman?
While many Caymanians may think that this is impossible, President Trump is not the ordinary. If AlDart, Mo$e$ or any other Cayman political person irritates President Trump the Cayman Islands can expect something not nice to happen.
Love him or hate him, if you are an American, you got to admit that President Trump is not putting up with any foreign leaders nonsense and all can see that he is not a pushover. Too bad for you Cuba, must suck being a communist island with an absolutely atrocious human rights record.
Trump won’t do anything to Cayman because he has a number of companies secretly domiciled here.
That is a lot of speculation on your part..Where is the proof? Without that you should be careful about making false accusations..
The Trump presidency has been like winning the lottery every day. Watching liberals seething everyday is literally priceless!
I thought the President’s responsibility was to advance the country for the benefit of all citizens, on both sides of the aisle, not just to piss off the people who don’t say nice things about him…but I guess its okay to be petty if you’re a conservative.
Bit like our Premiers responsibility- who does such a good job of acting in the country’s best interest, not those of his colleagues and supporter, and reflects the interest of all, not just his supporters and the registered voters, and never takes action against those that diss him.
7:49, Guess you also think seeing the American Constitution trashed everyday is priceless too? But then conservatives only like the Constitution when it means the right to keep arms or protecting an elite in America that gets richer every day.
I’m sorry you have so much hate in your heart. Might be better to spend your energy trying to find common ground instead of acting like democracy is a game where only one side can win. Shame on you for that comment.
your obviously not black or Hispanic
Yes, the majority of the USA didn’t vote for that puppet. You making that comment shows how ignorant and narrow minded you are. Stealing elections isn’t anything to be proud of.