Cruise ship comes on Christmas Eve

TWENTY FOUR HOURS after two British cruise ships brought some 4,000 tourists to these shores, the MS Braemar brought a further 820 tourists to Port-of-Spain on the eve of Christmas celebrations in Trinidad and Tobago. Constructed in 1993, the Braemar makes ports-of-call to destinations in Africa, the Canary Islands, the Mediterranean, Scandinavia (Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark) and the Caribbean. Trinidad and Tobago has been a regular destination on the Braemar’s annual travel itinerary. The vessel is attached to the Fred Olsen Cruise Line and is manned by a crew of British, Norwegian and Filipino nationals.

On Tuesday, the MS Oriana and one of its smaller sister ships of the British P and O Cruise Line docked in the Port-of-Spain harbour.  One week earlier, another P and O vessel, the MS Oceana paid a visit to these shores. Recently, Foreign Affairs Minister Knowlson Gift said discussions between the Governments of Trinidad and Tobago and the United Kingdom have resulted in three British cruise lines agreeing to make TT a regular port-of-call during the 2003-2005 cruise ship season. Earlier this 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 That advisory was subsequently withdrawn and the American State Department, United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Australian Ministry of Foreign Affairs have since described this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.”