MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica— Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett says the call by European luxury boutique vessel “The World” on the Ken Wright Pier in Port Antonio, Portland, on Sunday is a sure sign that “cruise shipping is on its way back.”

 Bartlett, who recently returned to the island following an international tourism blitz in which he and several ministry and government officials made key stops in the Middle East, the United Kingdom as well as the main source markets of the United States and Canada, said that with both Falmouth and Port Royal next on the agenda, all Jamaican ports should be getting ships over the next two to three months.

“Indeed, we welcomed the passengers and crew members of The World to beautiful Port Antonio. This is a high-end vessel with 90 passengers, and which will be overnighting until Wednesday. They will be getting off for tours and other activities,” the minister said in a release.

The tourism minister says he believes the increase in activity at the nation’s ports is the start of great things to come. 

“This is just the beginning of something special as we continue to welcome back the ships to our Jamaican ports. We started back in August where the Carnival Sunrise made its first call on Ocho Rios following the near 18 months absence of cruise ships from our ports. Now here we are with Port Antonio getting a bite of the cherry and with better days to come,” he shared. “We know it’s not yet the end all but it is obvious we are getting there…that we will keep building on this momentum.”

Bartlett’s optimism is being shared by other stakeholders (craft vendors, raft captains, supermarket and shop owners, restauranters, bar-owners, etc), with many calling the ship’s arrival “a glimmer of hope” and a prelude of better things to come.

Mayor of Port Antonio Councillor Paul Thompson, said that another cruise ship is slated to make a call later this month, noting that “these are positive signs” despite the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have to view every positive sign as a step in the right direction,” he noted. “We are a small town that relies a lot on tourism – both cruise and stopover visitors. Yes, we know we don’t have the infrastructure to accommodate the big ships like Ocho Rios, Falmouth and Montego Bay. There is, however, a market for the small boutique high end vessels and that is where we are making our pitch.”