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Three new cruise ships sail to Cayman
Thursday, June 22, 2006
The Grand Princess is returning to the Cayman Islands
WITH the Grand Princess due return to the Cayman Islands this winter season comes news that three new cruise ships are heading for Grand Cayman, beginning May 2007.
Marine and Cargo Manager at the Cayman Islands Port Authority Joseph Woods said the debut here on Monday of the Crown Princess signals an upswing in the number of cruise ship calls.
The Crown Princess, owned by Princess Cruises, berthed at the George Town Harbour with 3,300 passengers and is expected to make regular visits to Grand Cayman.
The ship made its inaugural voyage on 8 June in New York amid celebratory activities involving various stars.
Sister ship, Grand Princess, which was a regular Wednesday fixture here, will resume its Cayman route on 3 October after being diverted by Princess Cruises to a port in Mexico.
The Grand Princess has been also been booked for 2007, giving a major boost to an already busy cruise destination of 1.7 million passengers per year.
Mr Woods could not give details on why the Grand Princess had a change of heart following announcements by company officials that it would not return to Cayman in the next year.
The Grand Princess, carrying 3,300 passengers, had been paying weekly visits to the Island when it surprisingly pulled out in January, citing engine problems that led to its late arrival here.
Officials of Princess Cruises, the ship's owners, later complained that the George Town Port had insufficient tenders to take its passengers to the dock a charge denied by the Port Authority.
Coming for the first time to the Islands are new ships from Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruises and Holland America.
While Holland America is scheduled to do business here in October 2008, both Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruises have confirmed their plans to commence operations here in May 2007.
Mr Woods said it was too early to say what days the ships would be scheduled and if they would affect the 9,200 maximum daily passenger quota of the local Ministry of Tourism.
A third Princess Cruises' ship, the Star Princess, paid weekly Thursday calls to Cayman George Town Port with 1,625 passengers but it is unclear if it would remain on the same route with the other Princesses.
Meanwhile, the largest cruise terminal on the Island, the Royal Watler terminal, has been functioning at more than 50 percent of its capabilities, according to Mr Woods.
He said that as of Wednesday, 14 June, the terminal has been offering guests the use of its amenities but its shops remain unavailable.
The Port Authority has not yet announced the date for the official opening of the dock, which was plagued by legal issues and was the subject of an audit report that concluded mismanagement during construction.
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