Posted on 12/27/2021 7:54:56 AM PST by Capt. Tom
The first scheduled cruise ship to return to Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands is cancelled due to protocols and COVID concerns.
After careful consideration and reviews of health and safety protocols, the Cayman Islands has decided to cancel the forthcoming visit of Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam cruise ship, which had been scheduled to visit Grand Cayman on December 28, 2021.
This port of call visit had been planned as a test of the popular Caribbean island’s new visitor COVID-19 testing protocols, as was to be the first cruise ship to return to the island since the industry restart.
Cayman Islands Changes Traveler Protocols According to the Caymanian Times, the canceled visit is due to the inability to accommodate new health and safety protocols for all guests arriving to the Cayman Islands to have a negative COVID-19 test one day prior to disembarkation.
The Cayman Islands Ministry of Tourism and Transport had collaborated with representatives from Holland America and its parent company, Carnival Corporation, to ensure that passenger capacity was reduced to a maximum of 1,600 of the ship’s double-occupancy capacity of 2,666, and that Grand Cayman was the first port of call on the ship’s itinerary.
These measures were intended to minimize the risk of introducing more cases of this highly transmissible disease into the Cayman Islands. Additionally, all passengers and crew disembarking in Grand Cayman had to be fully vaccinated.
On December 17, 2021, however, the Cayman Islands changed its pre-arrival testing protocols. Previously, travelers had to demonstrate a negative test result within 72 hours of their arrival into the country, but now the requirement has been tightened to producing a negative test result within 24 hours. This change was implemented in response to the rapid spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant.
Nieuw Statendam Visit to Grand Cayman Canceled
Because of the tightened policy, it is no longer possible for cruise ships such as Nieuw Statendam to meet these protocols, and its December 28 visit has been canceled.
“The Cayman Islands Government does not take this decision lightly and the inconvenience to all concerned, including the cruise line, cruise businesses and passengers is regretted,” said Acting Minister for Tourism Dwayne Seymour. “While uncertainties persist regarding the spread of the virus, adopting a cautious approach is the right thing to do.”
Nieuw Statendam is currently sailing a 7-night Caribbean New Year itinerary. The ship departed Fort Lauderdale on December 26, and was scheduled to be the first cruise ship to return to Grand Cayman since the cruise industry shutdown began in March 2020. Since the industry restarted several months ago, no cruise ships have yet visited what has been one of the most popular ports of call in the Caribbean.
The ship’s planned visit to Grand Cayman has been a controversial decision from the start with many of the island’s residents against the visit, despite the benefits of restarting cruise tourism to the island.
“The cancellation of this single cruise ship call will ensure that the Cayman Islands is better able to protect our people and we look forward to welcoming cruise tourism business in 2022 when it is safer to do so,” said Seymour.
To date, the Cayman Islands has recorded more than 8,300 cases of COVID-19, though the country’s population is just under 67,000 residents. In recent weeks as the Omicron variant has become widespread, the country’s COVID-19 cases have risen, as have its deaths attributed to the virus.
More Port of Call Cancelations This news comes as more and more cruise ships are being denied entry to different ports of call due to positive COVID-19 cases. Holland America Line’s Koningsdam was refused entry to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on December 23, while Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas cancelled two ports of call – Curacao and Aruba – last week, and Carnival Freedom was denied its scheduled calls at Bonaire and Aruba, also last week.
While all these cancellations are troubling for eager travelers, it is best for passengers to remain flexible with their plans and expectations for cruise itineraries for the foreseeable future.
Different ports of call must make what adjustments they feel are best to safeguard their populations, and cruise lines are doing all they can to work with port authorities as well as to keep guests informed of last-minute itinerary changes.
On the other hand, I returned yesterday from a 7 day Caribbean cruise on the Norwegian Encore. Virgin Islands and Dominican Republic. The local guides and businesses were grateful to finally welcome us back. It was a great experience and a wonderful Christmas.
The Cayman Islands tolerate the cruise business, but unlike the other Caribbean islands they can take it, or leave it.
The big moneymaker is their offshore banking system. -Tom
“I still don’t see the appeal of being on a filthy overcrowded barge eating 3rd tier crap food”
I agree. Fortunately I’ve never been on a cruise like that. What are you talking about?
They booked a cruise on the Nieuw Statendam but ended up on the Flying Dutchman instead.
For me the ship is just transportation.
I read that wrong the 1st time... I read Grand Canyon!
I was like.... um.... HOW DOES THAT WORK!?!?
ROFL
I suspect many Americans also no longer have the discretionary income for cruises as Bidenflation reduces them to working for food and rent.
“it looks like 2 Volkswagens trying to pass each other.”
Priceless
“A lot of obese people have to be victims of medical problems because they couldn’t be as overweigh as they are just by eating”
On the fat people shows on TV a lot of them have suffered some kind of trauma (usually sexual abuse when they were younger); serious doctors seem to understand weight loss programs that aren’t paired with psychiatric treatment are a waste of time.
You mean the vast majority of cruisers?
That is a factor the cruise lines have avoided talking about.
It's the economy; stupid.
No doubt that no matter how many restrictions are put on people or port cancellations , many people will continue to cruise. But right now, I can't see how with the many ships out there, the cruise lines can make money, and pay off the Billions of borrowed debt without reorganizing; and cutting back on the number of ships.-Tom
First cruise ship to visit the Grand Canyon????
Gotta stop reading without my glasses.
And the cruise lines might be running out of luck. I just read this a few minutes ago. - Tom
Dec 27 (Reuters) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Monday it was investigating nearly 70 cruise ships after reports of COVID-19 cases on board, as the Omicron variant upended holiday travel over the Christmas weekend.
The CDC said COVID-19 cases on 68 ships had met its threshold for an investigation.
montag813 wrote: “Can’t they just deny tickets to grossly obese people?”
What would that accomplish other than generate discrimination claims?
It was satire. The media and libs routinely call for un-vaxxed people to be denied care in hospitals. But 78% of Covid hospitalizations are the obese (CDC, June 2021). But curiously, the media never mentions this.
Capt. Tom wrote: “Many people who go on cruises are destination oriented. Add to that the “vaccine” requirements, and the testing and mask requirements; and a lot of passengers will stay home.”
Norwegian just imposed a masking requirement on their ships leaving USA. In response, I just imposed a ‘no masking requirement’ and cancelled a cruise on Norwegian.
But we must have an opportunity to experience that canal locks thingy after all not everyone wants to go all the way to Panama ...
Me too
Right; I think that is what will kill many nicer restaurants that weren’t going to cut it during COVID (few want to pay those prices without the atmosphere of a sit-down restaurant). Now fewer people can afford them anyway.
He sounds like a virgin who thinks sex is dirty and no fun.
After dozens of cruises in Caribbean, many to Alaska, and several to West coat of Mexico, I think I have visited every port on those sojourns. When ship stops in the port, I am just as happy to enjoy amenities on the un-crowded ship. Bars are open, restaurants are open, Hot tubs are empty, but casino is closed.
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