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Cayman Islands meeting to address cruise 'misinformation'Cayman Islands meeting to address cruise 'misinformation'

This is part of a broader public education campaign leading up to a proposed referendum on cruise berthing in April.

Anne Kalosh, Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

January 14, 2025

3 Min Read
The Jan. 14 public meeting is part of a broader series of informational sessions planned by ACTIMAGE: ACT

The Association for Cruise Tourism (ACT) in the Cayman Islands is hosting an informational session tonight to provide an overview of the industry 'while dispelling common myths and misinformation.'

ACT, whose members include tour operators, merchants, restaurants, bars and transportation providers, said it advocates for sustainable cruise development and ensures that businesses, entrepreneurs and local stakeholders' interests are represented in decisions that impact the industry.

The Jan. 14 town hall is part of ACT’s broader public education campaign to highlight the benefits, challenges and impacts of cruise tourism in 2025.

Long-running debate

As a tender port, Grand Cayman is not keeping up with the Caribbean's biggest new cruise ships.

Cruise lines cite the operational challenges, time constraints and safety concerns of landing thousands of people from multiple vessels by tenders.

But numerous plans for berthing faciilties have come and gone over many years, under mulitiple governments, with projects sunk by concerns about the environmental impact of dredging, costs, potential crowding of beaches and other tourism infrastructure if bigger ships are facilitated and opposition from some hoteliers.

Advocating for a referendum

ACT has been advocating for Caymanians to participate in a proposed referendum on cruise berthing. The association believes the infrastructure is critical to continuing to develop the country’s tourism economy.

In years past, petitions for a public referendum didn't go pan out.

Economic impact

'Thousands of Cayman Islands residents depend on income from the cruise industry to support their families,' said Ellio Solomon, ACT’s executive program manager. 'It’s important that all citizens understand the industry’s impact on our economy and the current threats it faces. These events offer an opportunity for individuals to learn the facts, ask questions, and connect with others keen to improve the Cayman Islands’ standing within this vital sector of our economy.'

This comes amid momentum for a proposed cruise berthing referendum for the Cayman Islands general elections on April 30.

Ellio-Solomon-Cayman-cruise-meeting.jpg

A similar public education session held in December in George Town drew more than 150 attendees, including government officials. According to a news release, at that meeting, Minister of Tourism and Deputy Premier Kenneth Bryan said the cabinet was poised to approve the necessary bill for the referendum. He indicated the legislation would be brought to Parliament in January.

Solomon, a former parliamentarian, said there has never been a referendum on cruise tourism. He argued: 'You are not going to get 15 years of elected officials all preaching to you that we need cruise piers ... unless indeed you need cruise piers.'

Passenger numbers drop 45%

Tim Adam, former CEO of Cable & Wireless, Cayman Islands, as well as Cayman Turtle Centre, said that when comparing cruise statistics from January to October 2018 with the same 2024 period, passenger arrivals were down 45%. He asserted: 'Individuals are hurting, families are hurting and businesses are hurting. And enterprises, some of them government-owned, are hurting.'

He added: 'We are deciding are we going to have cruise tourism or not? Because anyone that tries to fool you into believing that we continue in cruise tourism without cruise berthing facilities — you don't have to believe me — look at the Port Authority numbers: 45% down.'

Environmental concerns

Environmental concerns were also touched on. Solomon talked about previous damage caused by anchoring and suggested constructing piers designed to allow natural water and sand flow could minimize environmental impact and better support marine life.

ACT plans to host additional events throughout the Cayman Islands in the coming months.

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Caribbean

About the Author

Anne Kalosh

Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

Anne Kalosh covers global stories, reporting both breaking and in-depth news on cruising's significant people, places, ships and trends. A sought-after expert on cruising, she has moderated conferences around the world, including the high-profile State of the Industry panel at Seatrade Cruise Global. She created and led the acclaimed itinerary-planning case study for Seatrade's cruise master classes held at Cambridge and Oxford universities. She has been the cruise columnist for AFAR.com, and her freelance stories have appeared in a wide range of publications, from The New York Times to The Miami Herald.

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