Cruise ship to act as home for residents

Wednesday, October 20, 2004

Securing temporary accommodation has become a key factor in the Cayman’s recovery and the Chamber of Commerce has completed negotiations to charter a cruise ship, which can accommodate over 1,000 people. This accommodation is a temporary measure for a maximum period of five months and is not intended to provide a long-term remedy to the shortage of land-based accommodation.

It is hoped however that the cruise ship will at least provide residents and the business community with an immediate available option, to allow hotels, condominiums, private residential homes and apartment complexes time to activate plans to repair as many units as possible.

The Chamber of Commerce has become involved in the process of negotiating the charter of a cruise ship on condition that the rental cost for the berths will be affordable for all residents. The Chamber has stated that it is not profiting from this venture.

The ship will be serviced entirely through local companies keeping money circulating in the Cayman Islands economy. The proposal for the charter will be presented to the Cayman Islands Government for review and comment this week. If the proposal is accepted, berths on the ship will be available for rental by next month.

The Chamber has also stated how dismayed the organisation is by the reports of disproportionate pricing for temporary accommodations in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan and hopes that the practice is an anomaly and will be discontinued immediately.

The real estate sector has self-policed itself for many successful years. Many believe that it would be unfortunate for the economy on a whole to suffer the consequences of potential legislative action because of a few greedy people seeking to profit from the vulnerability of others in need.

The Chamber is keen to have any resident whom feels they have been a victim of this practice to visit the Chamber of Commerce office, second floor, Macdonald Square, next to the Town Hall in George Town to make a complaint so each incident can be investigated by the Chamber’s Better Business Council.

Back...