Not true!
Tatham dismisses claims that cruise ship passengers in Portland did not visit attractions
Published:Friday | December 17, 2021 | 7:16 AMGareth Davis Sr/Gleaner Writer
PORT ANTONIO, Portland:
Vice-President of Cruise Shipping and Marina Operations at the Port Authority of Jamaica, William Tatham, is refuting claims that passengers aboard The World, which docked in Port Antonio in November, did not visit attraction sites as a result of the low vaccination rate in Portland.
Tatham, who spoke with The Gleaner on Monday, said that passengers from The World cruise vessel did in fact disembark, noting that they went on various tours, contrary to what was reported earlier in the media.
According to Tatham, at no time was there any discussion, decision, or reference made to the low vaccination rate of Portland residents by passengers.
“It is simply not true. Absolutely not. They did disembark, and they went on tour,” said Tatham.
His response comes in the wake of concerns raised by craft vendors and other interests, who are now pondering their future in the tourism sector and whether they will be able to earn from their livelihood.
Tatham said that while Port Antonio will not get a cruise ship for December, The Seven Seas Navigator is slated to overnight on January 9 and 10, 2022, at the Ken Wright shipping pier.
When asked about the cancellation of a cruise ship which was slated for Port Antonio in late November, Tatham pointed out that he did not remember if there was any such cancellation, although admitting that it could have happened. He also explained that with the cruise ship industry now reopening, there are a number of factors that could lead to a ship being cancelled, as each port has a different set of rules.
“During this period of start up ... it has been a very dynamic and ever-changing situation where cruise lines may have booked [to come here]. But, because they couldn’t, say, for example, get into Grand Cayman, because Cayman remains closed, or some other destination that they plan to go, but can’t go to, that affects Jamaica. We have had ships added, and we have lost ships during this period of the pandemic. Not all destinations are open, and each destination has different rules that can affect one’s itinerary,” he concluded.
Craft vendors and other tourism interests say they are worried about their livelihood, claiming that the winter tourist season for Portland appears to be a bleak one, while arguing that there is no future in that industry for them.
On Sunday, November 7, Port Antonio received its first cruise ship in more than two years when cruise vessel The World, a luxury ship, docked at the Ken Wright shipping pier with approximately 90 passengers on board, comprising investors and the rich and famous.