Grand Cayman to remain closed to at least September 1,2020

[VFL Cruiser]

Grand Cayman originally had a reopen date of May 31 but Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell said that the island will now remain closed to tourists until at least September 1, 2020.

Several cruise lines, including Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, and Disney Cruise Line, all currently have cruises in August with a port stop in Grand Cayman. Despite Grand Cayman being on many cruise itineraries, Kirkconnell said that cruise ships will not be allowed to visit that month.

 

Government officials said that although the port will not be open to cruise lines until September 1, there’s no guarantee that the port will reopen then. A timeline for reopening will be reviewed at a later date.

Kirkconnell added that he doesn’t think cruise ships will be able to visit Grand Cayman in the third and fourth quarter.

The government is currently in the process of putting together a plan for the reopening of tourism on the island.

 

I’m sure that Carnival will be making arrangements to find another suitable port stop.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Joe817]

I wish you would have posted a link. It really helps to post them. 

[Cruising_Addict]

1 hour ago, Joe817 said:

I wish you would have posted a link. It really helps to post them. 

Here you go. 
 

https://cruiseradio.net/grand-cayman-not-ready-to-welcome-cruise-lines-back/

[Joe817]

29 minutes ago, Cruising_Addict said:

Here you go. 
 

https://cruiseradio.net/grand-cayman-not-ready-to-welcome-cruise-lines-back/

Thank you very much. It not only substantiates what you posted, but also proves it, as far as I'm concerned. There is so much hype, and disinformation being distributed out there, that I guess I'm gun shy about this stuff.  👍

 

Apologies, if I put a burr under your saddle. 

[firefly333]

I cant do links on this tablet. I got questioned so many times now I take a ss to prove I didnt make things up. I'm gun shy I've being attacked so much here lately.

[ObstructedView2]

3 hours ago, VFL Cruiser said:

 

Grand Cayman originally had a reopen date of May 31 but Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell said that the island will now remain closed to tourists until at least September 1, 2020.

 

Several cruise lines, including Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, and Disney Cruise Line, all currently have cruises in August with a port stop in Grand Cayman.

 

Good for Grand Cayman!! August is too soon for tourists. It is INEVITABLE that most islands/ports will eventually delay their opening dates as well. No matter how much they rely on tourism. The virus will decide when the time is right. 

 

 

✌️

 

[firefly333]

Grand Cayman had a flourishing economy. Remember all those offshore ubs accounts in the caymans. They dont depend on tourism like poorer countries.

 

I looked, all 4 of my bookings dont go there

[Earthworm Jim]

Since some of Carnival's August cruises had Grand Cayman stops included in their itineraries, I assume this mean that Carnival didn't get any behind the scenes information from the ports they are planning on visiting that month that they expect to be open. Which put the whole concept or resuming cruises then in question. Even private islands aren't assured, because they rely on local workers and thus are still a coronavirus threat to the local population.

 

But, as Firefly says, Grand Cayman has other sources of income aside from cruise ship tourism. Maybe some other ports will be more desperate and reopen. Or, we've heard of world leaders (Brazil's and Belarus' to name two) who just deny coronavirus is a problem at all and charge straight ahead, business as usual. Maybe some leader in the Caribbean thinks similarly. (But if one does, would you really want to visit that country?)

Edited May 10, 2020 by Earthworm Jim

[jimbo5544]

Very interesting, it would have been good to know whether the Caymans have or had any cases.  I would agree they have some other means of revenue, but I would think tourism still top of the hill.  I hope they choose wisely if they decide to stay closed thru year end.  The cruise lines have good memory.   

[Earthworm Jim]

5 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

Very interesting, it would have been good to know whether the Caymans have or had any cases.

 

They've had around 80 cases:

 

https://www.caymancompass.com/issues/coronavirus-cayman/coronavirus-dashboard/

 

(Cayman Islands total, not just Grand Cayman. But you'd expect it to be mostly Grand Cayman.)

 

Edited May 10, 2020 by Earthworm Jim

[jimbo5544]

1 minute ago, Earthworm Jim said:

 

They've had around 80 cases:

 

https://www.caymancompass.com/issues/coronavirus-cayman/coronavirus-dashboard/

Thanks, prob more than many of the islands, good color to their decision

Edited May 10, 2020 by jimbo5544

[Earthworm Jim]

Just now, jimbo5544 said:

Thanks, prob more than many of the islands, good color to their decision

 

Sounds reasonable, but it's hard to say. They're a wealthier island nation, so maybe they just have more testing, leading to more diagnosed cases than a poor island in the Caribbean might have.

[jimbo5544]

Just now, Earthworm Jim said:

 

Sounds reasonable, but it's hard to say. They're a wealthier island nation, so maybe they just have more testing, leading to more diagnosed cases than a poor island in the Caribbean might have.

Makes sense as well.   While the cruisers on the ships might be a little disappointed (assuming they sail), this might actually be a silver lining playbook for Carnival.  

[Coopdog08]

32 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

Thanks, prob more than many of the islands, good color to their decision

I would say GC is around average for the islands. DR is by far having the largest outbreak, 10k cases after today and that number is obviously going to be higher as they have done little testing. I don’t see ships heading to DR this year. Cozumel could be bad as Mexico has been called out for not reporting the numbers to be as bad as they actually are. Jamaica is reporting around 500. After that the majority of the remaining islands are around 10-120 cases. 

[TooManyWakeUpsTilWeSail]

51 minutes ago, Coopdog08 said:

I would say GC is around average for the islands. DR is by far having the largest outbreak, 10k cases after today and that number is obviously going to be higher as they have done little testing. I don’t see ships heading to DR this year. Cozumel could be bad as Mexico has been called out for not reporting the numbers to be as bad as they actually are. Jamaica is reporting around 500. After that the majority of the remaining islands are around 10-120 cases. 

It’s funny that many recent developments make me less & less likely to go on my October Horizon cruise-very few cruises starting August 1st & those will be capacity controlled, by the time mine sails 2 months later it will probably be allowed at full capacity.  Now almost certainly no Grand Cayman (never been there),

likely no Ocho Rios (wife wanted to see Dunn’s River Falls) & while Cozumel is nice & would not book a cruise to there & maybe Nassau (if Carnival is feeling generous).  Add to that no price drops in my category since booking last November & it’s basically overpriced for what you get.

 

Enough of the 1st Word problems.  My personal issues is I suffer from social anxiety & discovered over the past month how much of

a germaphobe I am.  I’d be the one wearing a

mask everywhere with sweat poring off as

I do while grocery shopping.

 

Oh well.  Final payment is late July (just before cruises resume).  I can live without my deposit &  hold on to the gift cards refunded.

 

[Host Carolyn]

As of the middle of.last week Roatan had no cases! On very tight lockdown. Some cases  on mainland though. Western Caribbean itineraries will be "interesting". 

[jimbo5544]

1 hour ago, Host Carolyn said:

As of the middle of.last week Roatan had no cases! On very tight lockdown. Some cases  on mainland though. Western Caribbean itineraries will be "interesting". 

Turks and Jamaica have announced plans to open May 15 and June 1 respectively at least for land travel according the the BDM from Sandals.

[beachbum53]

Since so many people are eager to go on a cruise again as soon as possible, and some ports won't be open any time soon to welcome cruisers, I wonder if Carnival will have some "cruises to nowhere" (with limited capacity), just to satisfy those that are going stir crazy?

[jimbo5544]

11 minutes ago, beachbum53 said:

Since so many people are eager to go on a cruise again as soon as possible, and some ports won't be open any time soon to welcome cruisers, I wonder if Carnival will have some "cruises to nowhere" (with limited capacity), just to satisfy those that are going stir crazy?

I am sure if they could they would.  That said, doubt it will happen.

[crusinpsychRN]

11 hours ago, firefly333 said:

I cant do links on this tablet. I got questioned so many times now I take a ss to prove I didnt make things up. I'm gun shy I've being attacked so much here lately.

 

ss ?

[Host Carolyn]

1 hour ago, jimbo5544 said:

Turks and Jamaica have announced plans to open May 15 and June 1 respectively at least for land travel according the the BDM from Sandals.

My son lives there and can't go back to Roatan till probably mid summer...they were here when everything began shutting down. Will have to be tested here then quarantine there. But no cases there so it's worked so far, some cases on mainland

[firefly333]

9 minutes ago, crusinpsychRN said:

 

ss ?

Screen shot. I downloaded a screen shot app on this tablet.

 

For some reason when I go to copy a link it often dissapears, so now I screen shot the article. I had someone on the rcl boards who kept saying if i didnt have a link i was making it up. 

 

I too am worried about ports. I expect some ports to be changed. Will they notify us? I saw rcl offered obc, but i haven't seen ccl do that, they just kind of hand out a paper at boarding your port fees will be refunded or there has been a change, no compensation.

 

I'm on freedom but not until october.

 

Jan 2nd I'm on jewel OTS with 5 ports etc.

 

I think carnival will try and go but with what ports?

[firefly333]

1 minute ago, Host Carolyn said:

My son lives there and can't go back to Roatan till probably mid summer...they were here when everything began shutting down. Will have to be tested here then quarantine there. But no cases there so it's worked so far, some cases on mainland

Roatan is one of my favourites. I'm going there on carnival but it's just to mahogany bay, but jewel ots ports downtown roatan which I love. Been going there since they first let you. Its changed so much but I immediately wanted to live there. Your son is lucky. It reminds me of hawaii where I used to live in the country.

 

I'm thinking less than 3 months and counting until August 1st when carnival says start up

[Cruising_Addict]

On 5/10/2020 at 12:26 AM, Joe817 said:

Thank you very much. It not only substantiates what you posted, but also proves it, as far as I'm concerned. There is so much hype, and disinformation being distributed out there, that I guess I'm gun shy about this stuff.  👍

 

Apologies, if I put a burr under your saddle. 

I’m not the original poster. That would be VFL Cruiser. I was just giving you the link because I did a Google search and it came right up. 

[Joe817]

22 minutes ago, Cruising_Addict said:

I’m not the original poster. That would be VFL Cruiser. I was just giving you the link because I did a Google search and it came right up. 

Well then, thank you very much VFL Cruiser! 👍