PPM plans to cap cruise numbers

| 29/03/2021
Cayman News Service

(CNS): Moses Kirkconnell has announced plans to review the future of cruise tourism in the Cayman Islands and cap the numbers of passengers allowed to come into George Town. With the majority of ships not expected back at sea until 2022, the current tourism minister has said that, if he is returned to that job next month, a new Progressive-led government will limit visitor numbers in an effort to complement the stay-over sector.

In another complete U-turn on the party’s historic position on cruise tourism and after several years battling against the public desire for a referendum on a cruise dock, the minister claimed that the Alliance had a plan that would rebuild overnight tourism and allow a phased gradual return of cruise tourism.

Speaking at the launch of the Progressive Party manifesto at the car park of Al Thompson’s hardware store, the outgoing deputy premier said that there are no plans for a cruise berthing facility in the manifesto. However, there would be a gradual return of cruise visitors, he said, and government would create a strategy to deal with the changes in the sector as a result of COVID-19, which would involve the evolution of the industry and the safety aspect.

“The protocols will allow for everyone to remain comfortable and to reintroduce cruise back into our economy,” he said, adding that the health protocols would continue to be reviewed. “Our priority will always be the protection of the Caymanian people, those that reside here and our future visitors. Currently we are proposing that a cap on cruise visitors be established.”

He said this would be managed by the port authority to eliminate any surprises and ensure efficiency.

“The strategic focus to support the return of cruise would be to work with cruise lines who meet our passenger profile to control the number of persons into the destination,” he said, adding that excursions would be focused on activities that would not negatively impact overnight guests.

Responding to what has long been a public concern that cruise tourism is overwhelming and undermining the far more lucrative stay-over business, Kirkconnell said, “We want the two to mix and we want them to complement each other and not to compete for space with each other. The goal is to manage cruise for the benefit of all Caymanians,” the MP For Cayman Brac West and Little Cayman added.

He also recommitted to the premier’s announcement that the tourism stipend will be increased to $2,000 for as long as the tourism sector is adversely affected and while the government rebuilds the business.

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Category: Election News

Comments (36)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    I think that is a great idea, too bad I feel that it is a cynical election ploy.

    The whole premise of a new dock was because the large cruise ships would not stop here without it.

    What we should do is limit the size of the cruise ships to 3000 passengers or less, and no more than two cruise ships per day. We can then charge $50 per passenger to visit and create a niche cruise tourism destination without the herds or cheap tourist that benefits only the cruise industry.

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  2. Anonymous says:

    So you’re going to try to tell us that even though pretty much up until lockdown last year you people were hell bent on a cruise dock and NOW you’re going to LIMIT numbers??? Hahhahaha!
    That’s rich!
    And monkey will fly out of my butt too.

    I genuinely can’t believe that there will be people that believe this BS though.

    And the rezoning of anchorage area??? Why the need for that?? More BS.

    If you wote these boneheads back in for another term, all I have to say is “Da wah ya get!!” And I’m going to laugh and laugh before crying of course.

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  3. Anonymous says:

    Yes yes Moses…. we shipping you on a cruise to the Brac.

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  4. Anonymous says:

    We can always count on the Progressives to provide hypothetical rhetoric.

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  5. SSM345 says:

    Pandering to those with memory banks like sieves….that’s part of their manifesto.

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  6. Anonymous says:

    This lot are so blatant it’s ridiculous.

    Empty promises and hot air to get the votes and then do whatever they please.

    If you can’t see through this, I feel for you.

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  7. Anonymous says:

    We need to cap the PPM/Progressives/Alliance numbers.

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  8. Anonymous says:

    More BS. Let us just vote them out and then explore REAL options that are better suited to Cayman, its people and its natural resources.

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  9. Anonymous says:

    NO WEED, NO VOTE

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  10. ppm distress Signal says:

    Mann the ppm flip flopping more than my Aunt Jemina pancake ooops are we allowed to say that? For the people who bragged about the numbers to now come talking about capping cruise ships WoW! Talk about progressives should vote desperados ?

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    • Anonymous says:

      You can say Aunt Jemina all you want, but you can’t say you ate Aunt Jemima pancakes yesterday unless you have an old box of pancake mix.

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  11. anon says:

    How many more post election promises are we going to get in the next 15 days?.I am sorry to say that the only affect of all these last minute vote chasing pronouncements, is that the PPM Alliance have lost all credibility.Alden as current leader must take sole responsibility for this disastrous tactic which will undoubtedly lose them the election.

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  12. Anonymous says:

    PPM has a plan for overnight tourism, more like Dart has a plan …

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  13. Anonymous says:

    Man, this is just terrible. Moses and Alden continue to use their same old tactics. Tell us what we want to hear and we will vote for them.

    How much longer will we as Caymanians accept this type of politics in Cayman?

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  14. Anonymous says:

    Well it looks like they have really discussed the way forward with their Alliance partners. I know Alva wanted cruise numbers limited and he pushed for anti-bullying legislation, a third Primary school in BT and both are in the manifesto.

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    • Anonymous says:

      The price they pay to get people on the Alliance. Watch and see how many of these actually get done.

      Promises are a comfort to fool.

      Alva, you never cease to amaze me. Never again will he get my vote in Newlands.

  15. Anonymous says:

    Reviews and empty promises as usual. Seems like it takes a decade for these guys to catch up with what the public wants. If only they listened or even offered public consultation.

    Can the Alliance members please just take their 30K and GO AWAY. And I wish that in order to get it, they would have to sign a contract agreeing that in order to get their severance, they CANNOT re-apply for the job ever again!!

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  16. Anonymous says:

    Tr refresh everyone’s minds since we Caymanians have a propensity for forgetting and forgiving real quickly, when Moses and Alden speak about cruise tourism..do not believe them?

    https://caymannewsservice.com/2020/08/tourism-spent-cruise-port-2019/

    https://caymannewsservice.com/2020/03/premier-resigned-port-project-going-south/

    https://caymannewsservice.com/2019/10/cruise-campaigners-need-miracle/

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  17. Anonymous says:

    Pandering and desperation at its best.

    Mose and Alden should be damn shame of themselves. Can you believe those words are actually coming from Mr. Mass Tourism and Cruise Port leader?

    Wasn’t it Mose and Alden that spent $9M of our money to try to convince us that a $250M cruise port and mass tourism is what we needed. Why don’t we demand that they pay the government back for wasting our money?

    Wasn’t it Alden and Mose that told us that it would take a Christmas miracle to stop them from building the cruise port?

    Wasn’t it Barbara and Joey were making Smith Barcadere into a fancy park and blacktopping a big section of it for a car park so that Mose and Alden would have somewhere for the cruise shippers to go since they were losing Royal Palms but then we found out they had spent a bunch of money on nothing and refused to release any of the plans.

    Wasn’t it Alden, Mose and gang that changed the area surrounding the Port to an anchorage area from a marine park so that if in the future they needed to build the port they would have to worry about anyone bringing a referendum to save the coral and shipwrecks in that area?

    All of this was just in the last year or so. Imagine if I was to go back further into their 8 year reign?

    Cayman people, don’t you understand that these people are so desperate that they will say and do anything now to get your vote.

    We can no longer trust them! Do the right thing and vote everyone of them out.

    Let’s free Cayman from any of these PPM/UDP and their so called “PPM in waiting concubines”

    Enough is enough!

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    • Anonymous says:

      I think the fact that they listened to the people is a good thing. What did you want them to do?

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      • Anonymous says:

        They FOUGHT the people with our money. You trust people like that to keep their word? You must be gullible Gus.

      • Anonymous says:

        Hahahaha ONLY because they realized that the People were gonna win!!!
        You are a, what do you call it?, foofoo

      • Anonymous says:

        They have consistently been true to their manifesto. I admire them for that, and will be voting PPM.

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        • Anonymous says:

          We could literally vote for rocks and they would do a better job than these imbeciles

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  18. Anonymous says:

    Are we meant to believe this turncoat?

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  19. Too little and too late says:

    Ha ha, right. They will literally say ANYTHING at this stage to get votes!

    Watch what they DO and have DONE, not what they say two weeks before they are up for re-election.

    We remember the fight they put up to try and build the ecological nightmare of the cruise ship port.
    How they wanted to fancy up Smith Barcadere to make it a cruise ship destination instead of the people’s natural beauty spot.
    The relentless hustle for the cruise ship dollar has gone on for years, no matter the horrible cost to the environment.

    Too little, too late. Time to vote for people who will cherish and protect the islands not pander to the cruise ship giants and the mega rich developers.

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  20. Dexter Layman Ebanks says:

    It’s inclredable how Moses Kirkconnell can make a 180 degree from what was said by the Him a little over a year ago “Pushing like hell” to get the Dock built = thank God by the WILL of the PEOPLE that didn’t happen = Moses you should be a shamed of yourself =
    Remember all that money that were spent on advertisement trying to get support to built that dock = What a waste of money when that could have been spent to help the people of this country = May I remind you that was “THE PEOPLE”S MONEY” = Not the PPM’S = That should have been illegal taking the PEOPLE’S MONEY and doing what you and Alden did with it = Both of you should have been arrested and charged / convicted and went to jail = May I ask you all ” HOW DO YOU FEEL NOW, RUNNING SCARED ” = Food for thought “A pen is Mightier than a Sword at Election time ” Remember you can fool some of the people some of the time – but not all the people all the time = Have a wonderful day DEXTER LAYMAN EBANKS

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  21. Anonymous says:

    Good for them, but what about the old Seamen and old retired that worked hard and long and getting less than 1200 p m ?

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  22. Anonymous says:

    So if the plan is to cap the numbers, why has the marine conservation law not encompassed areas where the port was supposed to be built?

    You’re so full of sh!t all of you.

    Please cayman vote them out.

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    • Anonymous says:

      That has nothing to do with cruise. That area designates anchorage for ships and cargo expansion

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  23. Anonymous says:

    Up, down, left, right…

    Insanity.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Or maybe –

      Over under sideways down,
      Backwards forwards square and round.
      Over under sideways down,
      Backwards forwards square and round.
      When will it end, when will it end,
      When will it end, when will it end?

      Yardbirds lyrics from 1966 🙂

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