No Cruise Ship Tendering In Cayman Islands
By Aiswarya Lakshmi
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Moses Kirkconnell, the Cayman Islands’ minister of tourism said that future off-shore tendering of cruise ships is out of the question in lieu of building a $150 million cruise pier and terminal in the Cayman Islands.
Given that in 2014 approximately 82% of Cayman’s cruise business came from Carnival and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line , he asked them about their future plans and was told that tendering is not something they are willing to consider.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Line has informed the tourism minister that they will not tender their mega cruise ships, says a report in Cayman News Service.
Adam Goldstein, President and COO of Royal Caribbean Cruises said, “When Royal Caribbean International launched Oasis Class ships 6 years ago it was never intended that these vessels would be tendered. Royal has never tendered these ships and we have no plans for tendering them in the future.”
Carnival has said it is unlikely to consider tenders for the mega class of vessels. Giora Israel, Senior Vice President of Global Port and Destination Development for the Carnival Corporation, said piers would influence future itineraries.
Said Kirkconnell, “As more of these megaships are introduced, it is becoming clearer that if Cayman wants to seriously be considered as a cruise tourism destination into the future we have to provide the services and facilities cruise lines require. He said discussions with cruise lines regarding financing the piers are underway."