The talk on whether or not a pier ought to be constructed on Grand Cayman heated up this previous week because of fewer cruise ships visiting the island.
The Affiliation of Cruise Tourism’s (ACT) City Corridor Assembly happened at John Cumber Main Faculty Corridor this previous week as business officers issued an pressing enchantment for cruise berthing amenities on the port.
Since their isn’t any pier to accommodate cruise ships, cruise passengers should use tenders (water shuttles) to go to the island. Port visits are canceled because of climate, particularly through the winter or hurricane season.
Cruise passenger numbers proceed to drop in comparison with 2018. In 2023, the island noticed 650,000 fewer visitors arrive through a cruise ship in comparison with 5 years earlier. Final 12 months noticed a decline of 838,000 cruisers in comparison with 2018.
A part of the drop is because of cruise strains constructing extra mega ships than ever earlier than. As a result of quantity of visitors that these ships carry, they typically keep away from ports the place you’ve got use tenders.
A Carnival Company govt confirmed that new, bigger cruise ships are bypassing the port because of the lack of a pier.
In distinction to a port that’s not too long ago added ship berths, Nassau, Bahamas noticed a report 5.6 million cruise passengers in 2024, up 1.2 million over the 12 months earlier than.
The talk a couple of cruise pier at Grand Cayman isn’t new and has been happening for over a decade. 10 years in the past, a distinctive cable automotive idea was launched as a substitute for constructing a pier. The challenge by no means moved ahead.
5 years in the past, Cruise Fever reported that Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean had been going to finance a pier that might enable cruise ships to dock at Grand Cayman.
An artist rendering of the piers could be seen under.
Sadly, the $200 million challenge by no means acquired going and all cruise tasks had been placed on maintain or canceled months later because of the 2020 epidemic.
Grand Cayman was once one of many prime 5 most visited cruise ports within the Caribbean, however has dropped right down to 18th.
Ellio Solomon, Government Program Supervisor of ACT, gave the next assertion:
“The numbers are dwindling, Cayman was once within the prime 5 locations. Now we’re right down to 18. There are 3,000 households who depend upon cruise tourism … and if we fail to look out and be our brothers’ keeper and let the cruise business fail, we’re going to have main issues.”
The following City Corridor Assembly is scheduled for Tuesday, January 21, 2025.
