The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

THE first 50 Bahamian seafarer candidates seeking jobs onboard the Grand Celebration are on their way to becoming trained and qualified.

At an orientation and familiarisation tour onboard the ship yesterday in Grand Bahama, Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe told the candidates that the training and recruiting exercise is a great opportunity for Bahamians to have a first chance to be involved in the cruise industry.

“All of you represents a new day, you are pioneers; you are the first. You will determine where we go from here, you will determine whether or not other Bahamians will be given the opportunity; you will determine whether the industry begins to change because of you,” he said.

He said The Bahamas welcomes more than four million cruise passengers every year. “No one else in the Caribbean does that, and we continue to see cruise vessels coming to our nation because of what God gave us, we are a blessed country,” he said.

Mr Wilchcombe said the country depends on tourism. “We lost ground … but we are leading again. We received 6.23 million tourists in 2014,” he said.  

Charles Kinnear, president and CEO of Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, told the candidates that the training will open the door to a career in the cruise industry, which prides itself on service. He said that the cruise line is not only responsible for providing a vacation at value and with great service, but also the safety and security of passengers and its 520 crew. 

In December, the Prime Minister had announced that some 300 Bahamians would be hired to work on the ship in phases.   

Mr Kinnear said that once they complete training they would be eligible to work onboard any other cruise vessel in the world. “This first set of candidates are well on the way to becoming full fledged international cruise ship crew members,” he said.

He said the candidates will undergo an intense training programme before they are hired, including hospitality training, medical exam and 40 to 50 hours maritime training, which includes STCW training. 

“Anyone that qualifies will be selected at some point either by us or some other cruise line once the word gets out that we have qualified seafarers ready for hire on ships from the Bahamas, and I think the word will get out quickly,” said Mr Kinnear.

George Zeitler, vice-president of marine operations, said positions are available in various areas in the hotel operations on the ship, in the galley, restaurants, and bar services. “We are looking for cooks, waiters,  bartenders, all the way through to spas.”