By YOURI KEMP
Tribune Business Reporter
ykemp@tribunemedia.net
Tour and excursion operators yesterday hailed Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines’ (RCCL) decision to home port a vessel in The Bahamas as an “added boost” to the economy.
Dwayne Mackey, owner of Bahamas Coastal Charters, told Tribune Business the cruise line’s decision to base the Adventure of the Seas in Nassau as the starting point for seven-night round-trips that call on its Coco Cay private island and Grand Bahama will be “great” for local providers.
He added: “That would be an added boost to our economy, at least until local businesses start to see an income boost.” Mr Mackey said he did not share the concerns voiced by some Harbour Island tourism operators about the increased cruise passenger footfall undermining their tourism brand.
“I have one concern and that’s the COVID-19 situation, and cruise lines being an incubator or petri dish for diseases and stuff,” he added. “But, other than that, what can I say? Our bread and butter has always been in our tourism industry, but if they can get the COVID-19 testing facility set up for leaving and coming on board within an hour, like how they are introducing that saliva test now, I think that would be an added bonus and we shouldn’t have problems to worry about.”
Alfredo Bridgewater, owner/operator of Freeport-based Coco Nutz,, said: “More business to Grand Bahama is always good for the island. I just hope it isn’t too little, too late. So many people have already been displaced and switched jobs and left the tourism industry that it’ll be a little adjustment trying to get everything back together.
“I have a better chance with cruise ship passengers in my line of business than with the actual Grand Lucayan hotel. I feel like the hotel is tied to the airport being down, so it would be interesting to see whether the hotel will be able to be filled or what level of guests will be at the hotel.”
James Rolle, general manager of Dolly Madison in Freeport, said it would only “makes sense” for Royal Caribbean to start offering cruises to the island given that it is in negotiations with the Government to buy the Grand Lucayan resort.
He added: “That’s one way of being able to supply a feeder to the hotel; bringing the cruise ship. So you have people that would be able to come in on the cruise ship, spend a couple of days and, when they are finished, take the cruise ship and go back. Royal Caribbean would be basically supplementing what the hotel used to rely on with the Celebration, so that’s a good idea.
“This should be a good economic injection for the island. I like cruise ships; I take cruises myself. I think the cruise ship coming is wonderful. We just need to develop ourselves around the cruise industry so that we can attract people to be more liberal in terms of spending money with - and patronising - local businesses once they get off of the cruise ship.”
Calling on Grand Bahama businesses to prepare for the Adventure of the Seas’ arrival, Mr Rolle added: “You can’t just sit there and expect people to spend money and they have nothing to spend money on.”
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