Bumper cruise ship month in TT

JANUARY 2004 signals the start of a hectic time for the cruise ship industry in Trinidad and Tobago with a total of five vessels making ports-of-call in Port-of-Spain within the first three weeks of the month. According to a Port Authority of TT schedule of cruise ship arrivals in Port-of-Spain for the period 2003 to 2004, the first cruise ship to dock in Port-of-Spain for 2004 will be the MS Braemar on Sunday January 4.  This ship will be followed by the Aida Vita (January 6), Le Levant (January 15), Olympia Voyager (January 16) and the MS Oceana (January 18) with the Aida Vita and Braemar making return stops in TT on January 20 and January 18 respectively. The schedule also indicated that ten additional cruise ships will be arriving in TT over the next two months. Some of the country’s leading cruise ship tour operators said the vessels would factor next month’s Carnival festivities into their itineraries in order to encourage their passengers’ participation.

Last month, Tourism Minister Howard Chin Lee told Newsday that 45 cruise ships visited TT last year and 70 vessels have already confirmed this country as one of their destinations of choice for this year. Chin Lee said TT has been steadily gaining prominence within the cruise ship industry and is known internationally as “a safe global destination” for international travellers. Earlier last year, certain British cruise lines declined to stop in TT because of a security travel advisory issued by the British government. That advisory was subsequently withdrawn and the American State Department, United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Australian Ministry of Foreign Affairs have since described this country as “a safe global destination.”

Foreign Affairs Minister Knowlson Gift said discussions between the Governments of TT and Tobago and the United Kingdom has resulted in those British cruise lines agreeing to make TT a regular port-of-call during the 2003-2005 cruise ship season. Chin Lee predicted an increase in tourism revenues from the expected cruise ship arrivals and revealed that a $10 million upgrade of the Scarborough’s port facilities will begin this month in order to accommodate larger cruise ships. That project is expected to be completed in nine months time. Scarborough’s harbour facilities were first dredged to accommodate large cruise ships under the National Alliance for Reconstruction government of 1986 to 1991. Chin Lee also said TT’s tourism and overall revenues would increase “overnight” if this nation succeeds in its bid to become the site of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) Secretariat.