OCHO RIOS, St Ann – Cruise shipping executive Lee Bailey said yesterday that no welcoming ceremony was held for the January 14 visit to Kingston of the German vessel, The Astor, and therefore there was no need to apologise to Mayor Desmond McKenzie, who complained that he and the KSAC were omitted from the invitation list.

McKenzie had written to Minister of Tourism Aloun Assamba, saying the failure to invite the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation (KSAC) to participate in the welcoming ceremony was indicative of the contempt and lack of respect which central government had shown his administration over the past two-and-a-half years.

But Bailey, who is the agent for the ship and also chief executive officer of CCS Tours, which was responsible for the ship’s visit to Kingston, said yesterday that his company had no reason to apologise to McKenzie as no official function was held to welcome the ship.

He said the mayor’s assertions were therefore baseless and without substance.

Bailey suggested that instead of getting confrontational, Mayor McKenzie ought to have taken the opportunity to congratulate CCS Tours and those responsible for the ship’s arrival in the capital city, given the fact that Kingston is not a preferred destination for cruise lines.

The Astor, which docked in Kingston with 400 passengers, was the first cruise ship to visit that port in two years. Jamaica’s two main ports – Ocho Rios and Montego Bay – remain the preferred locations for cruise ships, with Port Antonio, capable of housing smaller vessels.

However, with Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2007 just over a year away, plans are afoot to take advantage of Jamaica’s popularity as a cruise destination, by having cruise vessels dock in the Kingston Harbour, which is in close proximity to the match venue at Sabina Park.

Just last week, chief executive officer of Lannaman and Morris (Shipping) Limited, Harry Maragh, confirmed that Kingston Harbour was being considered favourably for this and that discussions were taking place between his company and CWC organisers.

“We have berths in Kingston that can accommodate them, (cruise vessels) basically that’s where we are at today,” he said.

The last vessel to dock in Kingston Harbour two years ago did so when the three other ports were also accommodating cruise ships, making it then the first time four cruise ships were docking in Jamaica simultaneously.

-gilchristc@jamaicaobserver.com