Tourism Minister: Cruise lines could return by March next year

Cruise lines could be back in Cayman’s waters by the first quarter of next year, according to Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan.

Though the removal of quarantine requirements is expected to initiate the return of stayover tourism from Nov. 20, the port remains closed to cruise passengers.
That could change soon, according to the minister.

Bryan said, “Cruise is still a vital part of our tourism product. We could have had cruise back here in November but our appetite for risk is not there quite yet.”

There were also discussions over the possibility of lateral flow testing passengers before they got off the ship in Cayman.

But Bryan said the logistics of those requests had not been viable for the cruise lines.

Additionally, the high number of families with children – who would be unvaccinated – on many cruises made it difficult for the ships to comply with Cayman’s regulations which require proof of vaccination to enter the territory without quarantine.

Bryan believes increased vaccination levels for children, following the FDA’s recent emergency use approval of a vaccine for 5-11-year-olds, as well as increased vaccination levels in Cayman, will make the return of cruise lines possible in the new year.

“I believe, by the first quarter, things will change and it will be easier to have a decision to allow cruises to come back here,” he said.

Emphasis on “quality over quantity”

Though Cayman has abandoned the idea of a cruise berthing facility, Bryan said the industry was still important for many people. He said the sector was also vital for putting Cayman on the radar of potential stayover visitors.

“We still do need cruise but there is going to be a re-examination in terms of quantity, what that looks like and how it impacts the brand.

“Our emphasis is more on quality and sustainability rather than quantity.”

He said government would also look to assist tour operators in getting a better deal from cruise lines, which take a large cut of trips booked by their passengers on board.

Bryan said it was vital that service providers worked together.

“You have different tour operators competing for business and it reduces the price down to nothing.”

He said government wants to assist the Land and Sea Co-op – the umbrella organisation for the tour operators that do business with the cruise lines – in collectively bargaining for a better deal.

“We need to get the providers to act collectively and understand that working together will help all of them make more money.”

Bryan said government could also consider regulating prices for Stingray City. In the same way as government sets the fare structure for taxis, he said it might be possible to discuss a similar arrangement for tours to the sandbar.

He said those discussions were taking a back seat for now, to the more pressing issue of the industry’s return to Cayman.

“It is hard to negotiate that kind of arrangement at a time when we are trying to get the business to come back,” he said.

But he insisted better deals for tour operators were a necessary element of the long-term relationship with the cruise industry.

He accepted it would be a gradual return for tourism and some businesses, particularly those that depend on cruise, may need continued financial support from government.

In the long term Cayman is not seeking the same volume of passengers that a cruise berthing facility would have brought. But Bryan said it should be possible, with the right ships and the right deals, for businesses to prosper.

“We could have 25% less cruise passengers and potentially more money. That’s the goal, but it won’t happen overnight.”