EDITOR’S NOTE: Mid-April, #InfrastruCaribe featured Shipping/Cruise infrastructure in the Caribbean, in our edition 2021-04-20. We do the same in this newsletter. Two Caribbean islands are covered, namely: Jamaica and Cayman Islands. Of our five articles, Jamaica has three, Cayman one, and one is general. Additional information can be found on our Twitter feed.
Our headline, taken from the Jamaica Observer, reads: “Port Royal Cruise Port Featured In Global Cruise Shipping Magazine”. Port Royal — Jamaica’s newest cruise port — is featured in the latest edition of cruiseandferry.net: the twice-yearly magazine on the global cruise shipping industry. The port was launched last year and had its first cruise ship visit on 20 January 2020.
Jamaica is potentially an ideal bunkering location following the dredging of the main ship channel into the Kingston Harbour which is now able to accommodate the larger post-Panamax container vessels passing through the Panama Canal. Otherwise, Jamaica Bauxite Mining Limited is planning to upgrade the Ocho Rios Port this fiscal year for larger cruise ships.
Cayman’s Premier — Wayne Panton — has confirmed that his administration has no intention of building a cruise port, although Royal Caribbean has still not abandoned such plans. Nevertheless this summer, Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines have arranged to home port their vessels in Antigua, The Bahamas, the Dominican Republican, Jamaica, and St Maarten.