The announcement on August 5 by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA)

that its member lines agreed to voluntarily suspend U.S. cruise operations until at least October 31, 2020 hardly raised an eyebrow anywhere. The world was just not yet ready for a resumption of cruising of any sort, especially for receiving ships from the USA, then one of the world’s two hotspots for COVID-19 infections and mortality rates among all age groups.

The World Health Organization’s announcement of the global pandemic on March 11 effectively brought cruise ship business to a halt. The rapid spread of this virulent coronavirus almost immediately exposed the vulnerabilities of cruise shipping to highly contagious diseases. And so, Caribbean countries with cruise ports were among the first to close reception facilities and deny cruise ships a berth.

The CLIA, the de facto voice of cruise lines the world over, had previously announced a voluntary suspension to September 15. Then the USA’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a “No-Sail Order” to last until September 30. The CLIA then announced it would extend its suspension of services to the end of October. However, the USA was not yet able to control the spread, reporting approximately 5.7 million cases and 177,000 deaths) up to the end of August. At that time, the global assessment showed 23.3 million confirmed cases and over 806,000 deaths.

Resumption of cruise tourism on November 1, 2020 … even before trustworthy vaccinations are identified and already in mass production … is not likely to appear to Caribbean citizens and their leaders as a smart idea. Indeed, before the end of July last, Princess Cruises had already announced cancellations of its Caribbean itineraries until mid-December.

Notwithstanding the uncertainties, prolonged dislocations and the increasing daily death count, by August, most Caribbean cruise ports were cleaned, ready and quietly waiting for a resumption.

Anguilla

Anguilla, which receives only small boutique cruise liners in Road Bay/Sandy Ground, has not had to deal with most of the issues that larger cruise ports must now urgently address. There are no cruise ship berths. Cruise passengers are brought ashore by tenders. The current cruise business decline, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, did not have the same costly effect on this tiny British overseas territory (just north of Saint Martin) as it had on most of the larger Caribbean cruise destinations. Protocols and strategies for dealing with the global pandemic were being developed for the first time as Anguilla came to grips with this new situation. "We are still weighing the operations with other Ministries as to what protocols can and will be in place," the port’s management noted in a PORTSIDE-PMAC survey at the start of the summer.

Barbados

Barbados Port Inc. reported readiness to receive cruise ships and to return to normal port reception activities as soon as cruise ship schedules are resumed. And, so far, the COVID-19 pandemic has cost the port US$250,000.

The port was ready following upgrades and implementation of its COVID-19 Stage 3 Protocol at the end of March 2020. Since then and into the summer, as the global coronavirus pandemic spread through the United States, the Barbados main port was engaged in crew and passenger repatriation.

Physically, the port has not changed. There are no facilities for providing hospital beds for cruise passengers and recently renovated quarantine facilities will accommodate seven persons.

Bermuda

Bermuda will not be receiving cruise ships with passengers … not until at least October.

At the start of the summer, the country was waiting for Centre for Disease Control (CDC) Protocols to be determined for cruise vessels. Once implemented and confirmed as ‘satisfactory’ by the Bermuda government cruise business could resume.

“However, Bermuda is not ready to receive cruise ships with passengers until at least October,” a note from the country’s port management indicated.

Bermuda’s current policy confines cruise passengers who have tested positive for COVID-19 to the ship and declares unequivocally: Cruise Vessels cannot land COVID-19 patients.

No new facilities were established to deal with the ‘new normal’ created by this coronavirus pandemic. However, new protocols and procedures have been implemented, including the introduction of COVID-19 Screening forms to be completed by all passengers and crew, 48 hours before arrival in Bermuda.

As regards ships reporting contagions while in port, the current policy requires affected persons to remain onboard. If the vessel arrives with COVID positive guests or crew, the ship will be refused entry.

Cayman Islands

At the start of the Summer of 2020 the Port Authority of the Cayman Islands was not ready to receive international passengers because of government regulations.

Up to then the port was estimating that the COVID-19 pandemic was costing the Cayman Islands about $70 million in losses.

Meanwhile, the port moved ahead with several improvement projects. Sanitisation of areas on the port frequented by port users has been a priority, and the wearing of masks in all port buildings is now stipulated procedure. The Cayman Islands was also in the process of developing policies to protect the health of local cruise industry service providers. Some of the standard operating procedures for various sections have already been developed and implemented. Others for the various sectors that cater to the cruise tourism market were still being drafted.

The expansion of the container yard that was planned prior to the shutdown continued through the lockdown.

The cruise destination now has 235 hospital beds available with the ability to set up a field hospital with a capacity of 60 beds.

Ship crews are not allowed onto the docks and a five-level contingency plan has been developed to guide actions and strategies to be taken at each stage of the pandemic.

Curaçao

Curaçao moved quickly to implement a series of sanitisation measures and protocols, and was therefore able to maintain control of the spread of the virus.

In order to reduce person-to-person contact, personnel who could effectively work from home were requested to do so. Visitors to port facilities were halted and video conferencing was used for all meetings. No cash payments were accepted.
All such transactions were replaced by online banking. Operations crews were split into groups where possible, and rigorous sanitisation of office areas and equipment during shift changes was scheduled.

Sanitizers are placed around the premises and roving personnel were provided with personal sanitizers. In addition, protocols were established to facilitate operational physical distancing during operations (e.g. no signing of Pilot Service Report by Captain). Completion of a Health Declaration Form prior to arrival in Curaçao is mandatory for service request.

Crew cannot disembark in Curaçao and the port has continued its Awareness Sessions to ensure that the protocols now established are diligently followed.

Martinique

The main port in Martinique was already reporting crippling losses at the beginning of the summer.

Costs directly related to the global pandemic were by then already estimated at well over $300,000 including costs for facilities made necessary in the fight against COVID-19. Direct losses alone were estimated at over $200,000.

The port is equipped and ready to receive cruise ships as soon as travel resumes, having collaborated with the cruise lines and established new protocols and processes to receive cruise passengers and seafarers. Protocols are also now in place to handle ships reporting contagions, including isolation and medical assistance by local hospital and health authorities. And local health and cruise industry providers are issued masks and required to submit to temperature checks and exercise strict physical distancing practices.

With respect to medical assistance ashore, Martinique has 160 beds available to cruise passengers at the local hospital located near to
the port.

Saint Lucia

The port at Castries, one of the first to protect its citizens from COVID-19 threats posed by cruise shipping, has been developing protocols for airports and seaports in the country. The Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority reported in early July that the plan was to complete protocols for the Hewanorra International Airport and then the George Charles Airport. The template for the airports were to be modified for the seaports. And so, protocols for both the Ferry Terminal and the Cruise Terminals were expected to be determined and announced shortly. Meanwhile, Saint Lucia’s gorgeous marinas remain a prime destination for yachts and pleasure craft from all over the planet.

St. Maarten

The Port of St. Maarten has maintained a state of readiness for resumption of cruise business, having put in place all the prescribed protocols and facilities for effectively dealing with the global coronavirus pandemic. Among the facilities established is a medical examination room and two mini-medical units. Hand sanitisation units have been strategically located throughout the port in moves to protect the health of local cruise industry service providers. In this regard, St. Maarten has implemented strict cleaning and sanitation protocols, and has made the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) mandatory.

Mindful of the need to maintain close collaboration with the cruise lines, the St. Maarten port management reported that its Emergency Plan for Combatting infectious diseases (which outlines protocols such as reporting to Public Health Officials and providing access to medical facilities) was reviewed and updated.

Launched in December 2019, the port’s single window port community system facilitates a ready flow of information to all stake holders from the line’s agent. This has made the pre-arrival process more efficient.

Trinidad and Tobago

At the end of the first week in August, the CDC placed Trinidad and Tobago on its Avoid Nonessential Travel list, warning that: COVID-19 risk in the country is “high”. Less than two weeks later, like many other countries and states, the recently re-elected government of TTO took the decision to ‘lock down’ the republic again as COVID-19 cases rose. These new restrictions were scheduled
to last for 28 days until
mid-September when the situation was to be reassessed. Until then, extreme restrictions were placed on public movement and gatherings. Schools, restaurants, church activities were again banned until the September reassessment.

In the first days of June, following months of stay-at-home “lockdown”, the southern Caribbean’s twin-island republic started a process of easing restrictions on public gatherings and use of public spaces, which were first implemented on March 30. Meanwhile, the arrival schedule on the PATT Cruise Ship complex had no listings on a blank page.

Turks and Caicos Islands

The private cruise port operated by Carnival Cruise Lines at Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), was closed since the declaration of a global pandemic by the World Health Organization in mid-March 2020. The TCI Ports Authority does not facilitate cruise ship calls so the costs of dealing with COVID-19 was apparently not much of a cost issue. However, the Carnival brand is unlikely to be seen in Grand Turk before October 1, when the extended “no-sail” ban from the CDC ends. —