March Return Targeted for Cayman Islands Cruise Ships

The Cayman Islands will accept cruise ship calls beginning March 21, said Kenneth Bryan, the country's tourism minister. Initial arrivals will be held to a maximum of 40 percent of previous passenger volumes, the tourism minister said in a statement quoted in local press reports.

Cruise safety protocols "will be assessed and evaluated" during the first month of operations to determine if any changes are required, Bryan said. The March 21 reopening is subject to cabinet approval, which is expected to come next week alongside revised, formal COVID regulations, according to a Cayman Compass report.

Cruise ships have been absent from the Cayman Islands for the last two years as the island government adopted a measured approach to reopening to visitors following the pandemic outbreak. Prior to the pandemic, the territory has been among the most-visited Caribbean cruise ports, although a long-running government proposal for a new cruise pier for St. George's harbor was scuttled in 2020.

Bryan said the resumption of cruise tourism will be "good news" for the taxi drivers, tour operators and other local stakeholders who rely on the cruise sector for the majority of their business.

"We are seeing with stayover arrivals, our island's high vaccination rate, coupled with having the right safety protocols in place, is allowing our tourism industry to recover," Bryan said in a statement.

Total cruise passengers will be limited to 75,000 people. In 2019 the Cayman Islands hosted 1.83 million cruise ship guests, according to Caribbean Tourism Organization data. The visitor cap will be lifted in late April, Bryan said, although health regulations will remain in place.

Bryan's announcement follows talks between government ministers and Dr. Autilia Newton, the territory's chief medical officer, and Florida Caribbean Cruise Association officials.