Minister of Transport, Housing, Water and Works Robert Pickersgill (right) and Noel Hylton, CEO of the Port Authority of Jamaica put their signature on the contract yesterday between Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited and the Port Authority for a guaranteed 2.2 million cruise ship visitors over a five-year period. (Photo: Lionel Rookwood)

THE Port Authority of Jamaica yesterday formalised a US$16.5 million (approximately J$1 billion) contract with cruise ship operator Royal Caribbean Cruises, that will guarantee a minimum of 2.2 million visitors to the island over a five-year period.

The contract covers the period January 2005 to December 2009, minister of Transport, Housing, Water and Works Bobby Pickersgill said at a press briefing held at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston.

"That figure, broken out, accords 400,000 visitors for 2005 and further specifies that a minimum of 462,500 passengers will call at our port facilities on Royal Caribbean vessels during 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009," said the minister.

The five-year contract has been the subject of discussion for some time and the parties have already been operating under most of its basic terms and conditions, Pickersgill told the gathering.

"There is increasing demand for Jamaica as a cruise destination and the Port Authority is engaged in comprehensive planning to facilitate the demand," said Pickersgill.

In the case of Montego Bay, he said that the authority had signed off on a US$67-million improvement to the berthing facilities which is scheduled to begin next year and be completed in 2008.

Among the proposed developments will be the construction and renovation of three berths, two of which will accommodate vessels over 1,000 feet in length and the construction of a second more user-friendly terminal building.
In addition, Pickersgill said the present Ocho Rios terminal will be upgraded to handle the world's largest cruise liner Freedom of the Seas which has been docking in Montego Bay since June. A new terminal will also be constructed to be completed by 2008.

The signing of the contract yesterday morning represented another important step forward in the development of our cruise sector, said Pickersgill, adding that cruise arrivals were up 16.14 per cent over last year with 943,072 cruise passengers.

"Jamaica is therefore well on track this year to break the 2003 record of 1.12 million cruise visitors," he said.
The five-year agreement covers Royal Caribbean Cruises, Celebrity Cruises and Island Cruises and any other vessel newly chartered or operated by Royal Caribbean.

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