Beyond berthing: A five-point plan for the future of cruise in Cayman

As part of a special report in our Issues section this week looking at the direction of the cruise industry following this month’s referendum result, the Compass talked to multiple public and private sector leaders on what the future holds.

Economist Marla Dukharan, former CITA president Troy Leacock, Port Authority board chair Cline Glidden, and multiple other contributors who did not wish to be named helped inform this list.

1. Make swift improvements to the Royal Watler terminal

Long lines, no shade, limited bathroom facilities and a chaotic approach to managing cruise passengers arriving at the terminal are issues that many believe can be fixed with relatively minor investment.

Negotiating with cruise lines to allow security screenings to take place on the dock and investing in an ‘arrivals and departures’ area experience similar to that at the airport would represent a significant improvement.

Space is in short supply to do much about the management of bus and tour operators waiting to collect passengers but if the cargo port does move (see point 5), then that could change.

2. Negotiate a better cut for tour operators

Economist Marla Dukharan in her paper on cruise tourism, highlights that tour operators take as little as US$47 for tours, which cost more than double that amount to stayover tourists.

She said government and the Association for Cruise Tourism could prioritise a collective agreement with the cruise lines to get a larger cut.

“Less than half, really is not fair,” she said.

“I think these bodies need to come together and help lobby for better compensation for these tour operators, because US$47 dollars per tour is just ridiculous.”

3. Improve and diversify attractions

Since COVID-19, Cayman has lost the Atlantis submarine business, Calico Jack’s, Royal Palms and a handful of other bars and restaurants on the waterfront.

If more passengers are staying on the ships, one industry advocate told us, it is because there are less and less affordable options on shore.

Dukharan agrees that Cayman needs to improve and diversify its attractions. But she expands that philosophy to include better protection and restrictions on coveted hotspots like Stingray City.

She said there was a risk of over-tourism at those sites impacting the environment and the long term viability of the islands’ premier attractions.

4. Appoint a cruise director

The efforts of the Department of Tourism, which has a significant marketing budget at its disposal, are largely focused on stayover tourism. While this is the more lucrative sector, Troy Leacock, owner of Crazy Crab Charters and a former CITA president, believes cruise has been overlooked. He said a dedicated advocate within the department could work with the private sector to attract the best ships and get the best deals for Cayman.

“I would like to see a senior level appointment whose job is to set goals and objectives for the cruise tourism industry,” he said.

Dukharan has also argued for greater advocacy from government to focus on cruise lines like Disney that she believes have shown greater willingness to work in tandem with communities, protect the environment, and share the profits.

5. Move the cargo port

Moving the cargo port, built in 1975, is becoming an imperative, regardless of what happens with cruise, according to Port Authority board director Cline Glidden. Population growth and a surge in imports means the current site is no longer fit for purpose, he has said.

One advantage of moving the site from George Town to Breakers — as proposed in a Strategic Outline Case — would be the space it could free up for better organisation of cruise passengers and tour operators in George Town.

Joey Woods, who authored the case study, suggested a big enough port on the eastern side of the island could serve the dual purpose of accommodating larger cruise ships as well. The scale of the works required would likely create its own controversy but there is widely believed to be more support — and a better economic case — for moving on cargo.

Dukharan, whose economic study made the case for a ‘no’ vote on cruise berthing, said  “I think that even though we’ve had a referendum result where people have said overwhelmingly, ‘we don’t want a cruise port’, the cargo port is an entirely different matter, and one that I think needs to be addressed.”