Caribbean Cruise Ports Re-Open

Cruise ports in Caribbean destinations impacted by Hurricanes Irma and Maria are eyeing a quick return to full operations. Most of the ports are planning to have itineraries original itineraries re-established by mid-November as islands restore normalcy and rebuild tourism infrastructure.

“Of the 50 Caribbean ports our brands call on, only four were significantly affected: St. Maarten, St. Thomas, St. Croix and San Juan,” said Adam Goldstein, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.’s COO and chairman of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), in a conference call this week with media.

“All of those will be welcoming guests before the end of November. We really have a very optimistic view even in the short term."

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Goldstein noted that Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas embarked on a cruise from San Juan on October 7 and “has already been on another cruise” since then.

“Recovery is happening very quickly in the affected areas thanks to widespread support efforts and the strength and resiliency of the people in the Caribbean, who are very supportive of one another,” said Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corp. “We expect virtually every destination to be up and running in the coming weeks.”

The cruise lines’ fast progress toward full post-storm operations contrasts sharply with the mixed picture painted by Caribbean tourism officials at last week’s Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) State of the Industry conference.

At the gathering, CTO officials said the storm’s impact would significantly affect land-based visitor arrivals growth in what had previously shaped up as a strong year. Meanwhile, cruise ship arrivals totaled 15.3 million between January and June of this year according to CTO data, a 4.0 percent increase compared with 2016—passenger growth that cruise officials expect to remain intact.

“From an industry perspective, nothing has changed,” said Michele Paige, FCCA’s president. “We are keeping the ships in the Caribbean [and] working diligently to return the ships to [original] itineraries.”

READ MORE: Cruise Travel to the Caribbean Is Up and Running

Donald of Carnival said cruise lines have the advantage of mobile assets that can quickly re-visit impacted destinations once land-side excursion, infrastructure and transportation operations stabilize.

“Land-based properties, when they get hit by a storm, are dependent on air travel. The air component has to be there,” he said.

“The combination of those things I’m sure for some properties impacted their future,” he added. “And if they have to do major work, they’re going to take the time and do the upgrades. So you could see how land-based entities would be impacted for a more extended period of time. Our assets are mobile [and] the ships are in great shape.”

Damage Assessment

Among the worst-hit islands, Puerto Rico’s tourism infrastructure is surprisingly intact, said Goldstein. Despite the island’s well-chronicled struggle to re-establish electrical power amidst monumental financial operation and logistical challenges, cruise operation from San Juan’s piers has resumed.

“If you are a resident, it is a difficult existence,” said Goldstein. “It’s really quite amazing that you have people who are acting in a completely a professional capacity during the day knowing they are going back to a home that is dark and hot and not the way it should be.

“That’s a different situation, for the most part than what we are looking to contribute to their economic recovery,” he said. “When you drive around the Old Town of San Juan, it looks completely fine. El Morro, the fortress, is completely fine. The Pan American Cruise Pier’s terminals one and two clearly had some impact, but we are already using them to turn Adventure of the Seas around.

“It’s important to understand the distinction between the long road Puerto Rico has ahead to slowly recover from the impact of these storms and what we need to do to deliver a guest-satisfying experience that contributes to [its] recovery.”

Government officials agree the island’s tourism activities and infrastructure are rebounding.

Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport is fully operational, San Juan Harbor has resumed homeporting ships and more than 80 hotels are open with most taking reservations said José Izquierdo, executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC). Transportation companies and taxi drivers are fully operating and providing ongoing service to visitors.

The U.S. Virgin Islands, anchored by the St. Thomas cruise port, is on track to re-open to cruise travelers relatively soon even as most of the island’s hotels eye re-opening during late 2017 or early 2018.

In Charlotte Amalie, “The downtown area was looking in good shape,” said Goldstein, who recently toured the destination with other cruise line officials.

“There is still some road clearance that has to take place in and around the hills of St. Thomas. Magen’s Bay, which is one of the key beach areas of the island, is one the areas Royal Caribbean is taking a very [key role] in restoration of that area. Other beach restoration efforts are going on, and [stakeholders] will have St. Thomas cleaned up in short order. The governor is extremely bullish on meeting guest expectations during the middle of November, and that’s what we’re all aiming for.”

“We are optimistic [Stint Maarten] will be up by the end of November,” said Donald. I know our excursions will be operating by then. There's a lot of clean-up to do in St. Maarten for sure, but they were very much on it already just a few days after the storm. I can't predict for them, but I would be surprised in by January and maybe even before Christmas St. Maarten will be up and running at a level that will exceed guest expectations."

Paige also noted St. Maarten’s Princess Juilana International Airport, a hub for pan-Caribbean flights, recently reopened.

READ MORE: Which Caribbean Island Wins the Post-Irma Cruise Traffic?

Aid and Assistance

FCCA is planning a multi-million consumer campaign to educate potential travelers that, despite the storms’ devastating impact on the region, a wide majority of destinations emerged unscathed.

“There is a degree of public perception that the entire Caribbean has been affected by storms and this is not a good time to travel to the region,” she said. “We are here to tell you today perception could not be from the truth. We expect over 90 percent of all Caribbean destinations to be welcoming cruise guests in the coming weeks.

"In a single cruise season, cruising has directly generated as much as $2.4 billion for the Caribbean, on top of nearly 55,000 jobs and $842 million in wage income. And those figures come from a study that only looked at 21 Caribbean destinations. Just a single cruise call represents about a half million dollars in economic impact.

“Cruising has a major economic impact on the entire Caribbean. One of the best ways to support the Caribbean is to cruise to the Caribbean.”