By Sue-Ann Wayow
THE ports at Port-of-Spain and Scarborough can only accommodate medium-sized cruise ships and if these ships take their business elsewhere, it would become very challenging for the local cruise industry.
This is according to Chief Executive Officer of Carvalho’s Agencies, Charles Carvalho.
Carvalho stated his concerns to Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts Randall Mitchell via WhatsApp on Thursday.
He wrote that several cruise lines have already switched to alternative destinations including MSC, Princess and Holland America following cancellations.
“As you are aware, both the ports of Port of Spain and Scarbrough, can only accommodate up to a certain size of vessels, limiting our potential to securing more cruise business for Trinidad and Tobago, hence, it is difficult for us to lose those ships that we can safely accommodate to other destinations that warmly welcome them through this pandemic.
“The cruise lines are only building large and large vessels and those that we usually accommodate are the only ones we can get, but to have them now move to other destinations can make our cruise industry very challenging.”
In addition, the Royal Caribbean vessels, Rhapsody of the Seas that should have been docking in Trinidad since the start of the cruise season 2021 to 2022 would be moving to Panama in 2023, Carvalho said.
Royal Caribbean in particular has been on a drive to build larger vessels Carvalho told the minister.
Speaking with AZP News, Carvalho said communication was a key issue with the international cruise lines, an area that Government seemed to be lacking in.
He said, “They need to be more proactive and assertive in their measures to keep cruise lines operating in Trinidad and Tobago.”
Carvalho has been actively advocating for the opening up of the cruise industry in Trinidad and Tobago, a sector that has not yet been allowed to resume although other Covid-19 measures have been lifted including the full re-opening of physical school.
Speaking on his return from Barbados on Thursday, Prime Minister Dr Rowley said further adjustments to the Covid-19 restrictions will be considered soon while noting that mask wearing will continue to be a mandatory requirement.
These include restrictions to unvaccinated persons entering the country and the cruise industry which, Dr Rowley said, was in constant communication with Mitchell.
