• Crystal Cruises ‘first to home port’ in nation
• Unveils exclusive Bahamas 7-day voyage
• Briland, Exuma, San Sal and Long Island calls
By NEIL HARTNELL
Tribune Business Editor
nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
A Cabinet minister yesterday hailed “a tipping point” for tourism and the wider economy as the first cruise line to ever home port in The Bahamas unveiled its multi-island schedule for summer 2021.
Dionisio D’Aguilar, minister of tourism and aviation, told a conference call that Crystal Cruises’ decision to base one of its vessels in this nation for seven-day voyages exclusively in the Bahamas represented “a significant milestone” in efforts to revive tourism in both the near and long-term.
The upscale, luxury cruise line, which offers butler service for 30 percent of its passengers, will use Nassau and Bimini as home ports for week-long cruises set to begin on July 3. The Crystal Serenity will call on Harbour Island, Great Exuma, Long Island and San Salvador via an itinerary designed to boost to island economies, traditionally not on a cruise industry schedule, that are still reeling from COVID.
“This a milestone achievement,” Mr D’Aguilar said, speaking just one day after revealing that four cruise lines are presently in negotiations to use Nassau as their home port. “After a year of despair, uncertainty and doubt.... this will prove to be the tipping point for our citizens, tourism industry and nation.”
And, just one day after urging all Bahamians - especially tourism workers - to become vaccinated against COVID-19 as rapidly as possible, given that the pace and strength of The Bahamas’ economic recovery depends on this, Mr D’Aguilar predicted that most citizens and residents will be vaccinated by July in time for Crystal’s sailing start.
“Certainly, by July 4 and the latter part of July, we anticipate the vast majority of our population who want to be vaccinated will be vaccinated,” he added. The Bahamas, though, has a long way to go to achieve this ambitious timeframe given that just 20,000 vaccine doses have presently reached its shores.
Jack Anderson, Crystal Cruises’ president and chief executive, said the Crystal Serenity will “offer a 100 percent Bahamian itinerary through to at least October” with the possibility that its exclusive stay in this nation could be extended further. “I think it’s very likely. No final decision has been made,” he added, when questioned by Tribune Business.
“We’re certain of one thing: These Bahamas cruises are going to sell out very quickly, and that will most likely encourage us to to extend.” Crystal Cruises is capping passenger numbers on the Serenity to 900 guests to ensure compliance with COVID-19 health and safety measures, especially social distancing.
Mr Anderson indicated that Crystal Cruises has selected The Bahamas for its sailing resumption because of the multiple destinations and island experiences it offers, together with the ease of complying with COVID-19 health protocols.
Similar to what Bahamian marinas are hoping for with the boating/yachting business, he signalled that Crystal Cruises’ previous itineraries featuring numerous Caribbean island stops are presently too complex to operate due to the different COVID-19 measures each island is employing.
“This makes Crystal Serenity the first to return to sailing in the Americas and first to home port in The Bahamas,” Mr Anderson said. Describing the 16 voyages planned between now and mid-October as Bahamas Escapes, the cruise line will allow persons to embark the vessel in either Nassau or Bimini before it heads to other Family Island calls.
“Crystal Serenity will be the first cruise ship to visit some of these unspoilt destinations that previously were only visited by private boaters,” the Crystal Cruises chief added, with the companies website advertising more than 30 seven-day Bahamas cruises although the website lists just 16 dates.
Mr Anderson said the company’s plans would “provide much-needed economic support to businesses in The Bahamas which, like other destinations reliant on tourism, have been hard hit by the pandemic”.
He added that the cruise line’s guests will have the ability to extend their Bahamas stay in both Nassau and Bimini, with “packages” being offered via Bahamas’ SLS property and Resorts World Bimini.
“From 2022 our current bookings are significantly ahead of the same time in 2019, which is the last complete year of sailing,” Mr Anderson said. “Our future bookings are ahead, and our guest relations department and sales department is continually hearing from our guests they are eager to sail.”
Mr D’Aguilar, describing Crystal Cruises’ plans as “a significant milestone for cruising in The Bahamas, said: “Given that more than 70 percent of the Government’s tax revenue comes from tourism, the return of cruising from partners like Crystal Cruises will bring much-needed economic relief to the country.
“The benefits of guest expenditures, crew expenditures and port fees will translate into dollars spent directly in our communities, delivering an equitable source of income for thousands of Bahamians. Each sailing to The Bahamas will go a long way in helping local businesses, excursion and tour operators on our islands to get back to work.
“The opportunity for passengers to add on pre- and post-sailing stays in The Bahamas will further increase tourism revenue as well...... As cases decline and more people become vaccinated, we are seeing COVID-19 slowly begin to loosen its grip on the world tourism industry, and we’re thrilled to be able to welcome back cruise passengers after a year-long hiatus.”
Mr D’Agular said Crystal Cruises’ arrival had been in the works for some months. “Nearly a year of planning has brought us to this moment of triumph,” he added. The minister, while admitting there may be “push back” against Family Island cruise tourism from a minority, voiced confidence that the announcement will “be received with some excitement”.
There are now several months to prepare the selected Family Island destinations for Crystal Cruises’ arrival, and Joy Jibrilu, the Ministry of Tourism’s director-general, said many communities were used to receiving occasional visits from high-end cruise lines’ whose guests were seeking authentic Bahamian experiences “off the beaten path”.
Comments
tribanon 3 years, 1 month ago
Many may be too young to remember how much more cruise ship passengers contributed to our local economy decades ago when the cruise ships were smaller and their operators were not allowed to open their on-board shops and casinos while in our territorial waters. Our corrupt politicians killed our once thriving downtown economy when they did away with that important restriction under the bogus threat from the cruise line owners that they would send their ships elsewhere. Back then certain of our corrupt politicians were no doubt 'handsomely rewarded' for not calling the bogus bluff of the cruise line owners. After all, it has always been generally known the cruise ship industry very much needs not only our sun, sand and sea, but, perhaps more importantly, our proximity to the US.
Since then, the size of these ships has grown significantly making it next to impossible for our downtown shops and onshore tourist attractions to compete with what's being offered on-board these floating behemoth hotels today. And the cruise ship operators/owners long ago figured out how to squeeze just about every vacation dollar out of their very price conscious cruise passengers, leaving virtually nothing to be contributed to our local economy.
It's a fallacy to believe the cruise ship industry benefits The Bahamas in any meaningful way when in fact the opposite is true. Make no mistake about it, the cruise ship industry directly competes with The Bahamas in a very aggressive way for every single tourist dollar that it can direct away from us and put into its own pockets. But Dumbo Minnis and Simpleton D'Aguilar are either oblivious to that reality or are somehow being well 'rewarded' to turn a blind eye to it.
sheeprunner12 3 years, 1 month ago
Check the river cruises in Europe ......... Great model for our country
tribanon 3 years, 1 month ago
Not really. The average size of a river cruise ship in Europe is much smaller and therefore the business model emphasises landscape sightseeing from onboard with frequent stops along the river for land based shopping and attractions. But the greedy river cruise companies through their various pricing packages cleverly steer their passengers to the land based shops and attractions that they either own outright or take a big cut of the profits from under ruthless business arrangements with third parties. And we all know that many of the river cruise companies are owned by the very big players in the greedy cruise ship industry.
sheeprunner12 3 years, 1 month ago
Your point is well taken ......... but we are starting from scratch with this model ...... We need to dictate HOW it will be established and HOW the 242 will benefit from inter-island cruises.
Alan1 3 years, 1 month ago
All the fanfare about cruises returning does not mask the fact that the entry rules are so cumbersome that most prospective visitors are looking elsewhere.to travel. Expecting visitors to willingly undertake all the requirements and be on the ground within five days is completely unrealistic. What tourism we could have had the past few months has been largely lost by the stubborn refusal of the Tourism Ministry to ease the hassles required. Most people simply do not have the time or money to find test centres for the Covid19 PCR test , return for the written results and then complete forms and scan them with the results to Nassau for the Health Visa and not know when permission will come for travel. At the same time visitors and returning residents must find flights which are few and far between these days and co-ordinate all this with the entry requirements. Most people simply are unwilling to go through all these hassles just to visit our country. Cruise visitors are also unlikely to want to go through this process with the uncertainties of bring there in five days. After frightening our population that visitors are carrying the Covid19 virus despite them having to take tests and placing policies which prevent most from coming the Minister of Tourism now expects visitors will all suddenly arrive. He and his staff are living in a fantasyland. It is all so sad and unnecessary.
truetruebahamian 3 years, 1 month ago
We can highlight Bay Street east if East Street to show what a frightening mess has been allowed to happen that is a huge negative for visitors to see and photograph and share.
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