Bartlett says cruise set to rebound

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett says the cruise industry is recovering strongly, following a lull due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking at a destination assurance meeting in Ocho Rios, St Ann, last Thursday, Bartlett said Jamaica continues to see an uptick in cruise passenger arrivals, with approximately 855,000 visiting in 2022. He said that 1.4 million passengers are projected to arrive during the current calendar year.

"While the numbers are not yet back up to our standards, we have been getting our fair share of the market. Last December, we welcomed the largest cruise ship in the world [the Wonder of the Seas] and, yes... its owners... Royal Caribbean... have committed to sending us more of their Oasis class vessels," he indicated.

The minister said the cruise subsector is rapidly growing and becoming a vital component of the global tourism industry. He said that Royal Caribbean International has committed to increasing the number of passengers brought to Jamaica in 2023, while strengthening its training partnership with the Caribbean Maritime University.

In the meantime, Bartlett said that there is currently a significant increase in interest in homeporting, with top global travel company, TUI, giving consideration to having a second vessel homeport in Port Royal, while Germany's Aida Cruises continues to do so in Montego Bay.

"As a result, Jamaica's homeporting opportunities have expanded, and we have seen a rise from 25 per cent to 40 per cent in pre/post cruise extension visits," Bartlett said.

Homeporting refers to an arrangement where a ship uses a port as its home, regardless of its port of registry. When vessels are homeported in Jamaica, passengers will have to begin or end a cruise here, which means that the ground transportation and tour markets could see benefits.