Carnival cruise ship to dock on lockdown Monday... why some interests are fuming

Carl Gilchrist/Gleaner Writer 

The Carnival Sunrise cruise ship is set to dock in Ocho Rios, St Ann tomorrow, a designated no-movement day in Jamaica.

Approximately 1,700 cruise passengers are on board.

However, arrangements have been made to open a few attractions to accommodate the tourists.

According to a letter from the St Ann Development Company, a subsidiary of the Urban Development Commission, the government-owned Dunn's River Falls and Green Grotto Caves will be open.

Mystic Mountain and Dolphin Cove, along with two shopping centres, Island Village and Taj Mahal, will also be open.

But like it was on August 16, when the ship docked in Jamaica for the first time in more than a year, Monday's impending return has triggered disquiet among some tourism interests.

They are upset that only a select few will benefit from the potential business from the tourists.   

Proprietor of Gem Palace, Kumar Sujanani, says the practise seems discriminatory as, again, businesses on Main Street, Ocho Rios will not benefit.

“I can't open because I'm not an approved placed for the tour to come to,” Sujanani said.  

He has questioned the rationale for the restrictions on where tourists may visit. 

“I follow the COVID protocols 100 per cent. I'm not violating any rules. I do not know what governs the operations; all I can tell you, it seems discriminatory,” Sujanani said.  

Meanwhile, some St Ann residents are upset that the ship is being accommodated on a designated no-movement day.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett has sought to explain that the visit was agreed before the imposition of the no-movement days.

This will be the third cruise ship arrival following the reopening of cruise tourism in August 2021.  

“The two previous cruise arrivals in August were successful and all the required protocols that had been agreed on with the cruise line were very strictly observed and monitored,” said Bartlett.

He said arriving cruise visitors are permitted to visit only establishments that are certified by the Tourism Product Development Company and may travel only on transportation licensed under the Tourist Board Act.

“Carnival Sunrise has to meet strict measures governing the restart of cruise shipping, requiring approximately 95 per cent of passengers and crew to be fully vaccinated and for all passengers to provide evidence of negative results from a COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of sailing," the minister said.

In the case of unvaccinated passengers, such as children, a PCR test is mandated, and all passengers are also screened and tested on boarding the ship.

“In our quest to protect lives and livelihoods, the Government seeks to maintain Jamaica's position as the premier cruise destination in the region while working closely with our cruise partners to maintain the highest standards of safety,” said Bartlett.

Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com