Bahamas Changes Stance on Cruise Ship Passengers

[brentm77]

https://cruiseradio.net/bahamas-changes-stance-on-cruise-ship-passengers/
Highlights:
"Dionisio D’Aguilar, the Bahamian minister of tourism and aviation, told Tribune Business that he intended to “encourage” cruise lines to come back to the Bahamas once cruising resumes. “Obviously, when they start cruising again, they will not want to come to the population centers,” he said. “They will want to go to their private islands, because they can control the environment.”
...
"This is a major turnaround for D’Aguilar, who has spent the past several years complaining that cruise line guests don’t spend enough money."
...
“The shorter you make the cruise,” he theorized, “the less the risk. You can do a three-day cruise involving Nassau and your private island.”

What are people's thoughts? Clearly, private islands will be the safer option until COVID-19 has passed or there is a good vaccine available. But assuming it is safe to travel again, should DCL prioritize getting to places like Nassau to help local economies over private islands? If so, what could Disney and/or local destination due to get more people off the ships spending money? I have never been to Nassau, but it appears many like to stay on the ship.

 

[mousefan73]

IMO depends what one does in Nassau and Nothing with Covid has really
Changed. Difference if I walk alone with my kids to Junkanoo beach, swim and walk back. Or if a group of Pax get off and drink and yell about at a packed Senor Frogs with other pax from other ships etc.

 

[T & R]

What are people's thoughts? Clearly, private islands will be the safer option until COVID-19 has passed

This guy is suggesting porting in Nassau which I do not get but I've never understood why the Bahamas hasn't offered the private island only route as an alternative until a vaccine is going. A 3 night cruise porting at CC is zero risk to the Bahamian population and the Government of The Bahamas still gets to rake in the $ millions in needed port fees. Seems like a sound compromise and a win for both parties until things get back to normal. DCL already offers CC only cruises, so it's not like it's some profound idea.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

zero risk to the Bahamian population

Well, not zero. The Bahamian people who staff Castaway Cay would be coming in from the main island on a daily basis - potentially exposing cruisers. And vice versa - who says that a cruiser won't be exposing the local people working on the private island to the virus?

 

[WaywardMemphian]

Stepping foot in Nassau once was enough. If and when we port there again, staying on ship is the best option. We are supposed to be doing this on an RC cruise next spring that hits Coco Cay twice as well. Sleep in on Nassau day and chill on the ship.

 

[otten]

Well, not zero. The Bahamian people who staff Castaway Cay would be coming in from the main island on a daily basis - potentially exposing cruisers. And vice versa - who says that a cruiser won't be exposing the local people working on the private island to the virus?

Far from zero actually. Every time those workers would commute back to the Bahamas they would potentially be exposing their communities. The risk of a cruise ship passenger coming from the US infecting someone from the Bahamas is a whole lot higher than the other way around at the moment. The potential for a cruise ship causing a huge outbreak in the country is very high.

which is why you can’t cruise during a pandemic.

 

[T & R]

Well, not zero. The Bahamian people who staff Castaway Cay would be coming in from the main island on a daily basis

which is why you can’t cruise during a pandemic.

Bringing in local Bahamian vendors is an option, not a requirement. It's a private island, there's no requirement that they bring in locals.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

Far from zero actually. Every time those workers would commute back to the Bahamas they would potentially be exposing their communities. The risk of a cruise ship passenger coming from the US infecting someone from the Bahamas is a whole lot higher than the other way around at the moment. The potential for a cruise ship causing a huge outbreak in the country is very high.

which is why you can’t cruise during a pandemic.

Much as I think some of this is overblown and there is a little knee-jerk reaction going on, I am forced to agree with this.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Bringing in local Bahamian vendors is an option, not a requirement. It's a private island, there's no requirement that they bring in locals.

How do they get the tourist money then? The locals usually own/staff the shops on Castaway Cay (can't say whether that's how it is on other private islands).

 

[T & R]

Why do multiple people on here feel that local Bahamian vendors must be present on Castaway Cay when we port there? I've never seen this opinion before. Wouldn't it make sense for the time being for them not to be there. I'm sure they would understand given the circumstances. Simple fix, it's not rocket science.

 

[T & R]

How do they get the tourist money then?

Port fees. The Bahamian Government can use/distribute those fees by whatever legal means they choose. Many governments around the world, including ours, has uses taxes, tariffs and fees to send direct payments to their effected citizens to stimulate/help their people/economy during this pandemic.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Port fees

But individual locals aren't getting that money.

 

[Snowwhyt]

Isn’t there somewhere between six and 18 employees that stay there frequently in a bunker whenever there’s a hurricane coming through? Are those straight up Disney employees and not just “a vendor”? Groundskeepers, mechanics, maintenance,....

 

[T & R]

But individual locals aren't getting that money.

I do not understand this thought process. Why is it DCL's responsibility to support the individual locals during a pandemic? That is the job of the Bahamian Government or the individuals themselves and should not even be a factor in DCL's decision making process. DCL is not their momma. It's a "Private Island" not open to the public. The public vendors who come there, come there by invitation from DCL and not because they have a right to be there selling stuff. The alternative is no cruising at all, how much does a local earn then with no cruising at all? At least with cruising and no locals the Bahamian Govt can bring in badly needed port fees to help administer their country. We can work on solutions or sit back and keep coming up with reasons why we can't do something.

 

[T & R]

Are those straight up Disney employees and not just “a vendor”? Groundskeepers, mechanics, maintenance

Are there a lot of passengers shaking hands with the lawn guys? I've been about 10 or more times and not only have I never been in contact with one, I've never even seen one. Wouldn't be hard at all to separate these two enormously different classes of people on the island.

It's almost like people sit back and think up ways to overcomplicate stuff but meantime offer no solutions to the real problems of 66,000 covid positive people a day here who are clearly not catching it from cruising, so the danger is clearly somewhere other than cruising. We can sit back and think of reasons why we can't do something or try to think of ways we can. Since we are on a cruising forum, I am going to continue to think of ways that we can cruise instead of joining the chorus of those who come across as anti-cruising. I don't get the people who come on a cruise forum and preach against cruising. I bet they don't go to the Uber forum and preach against Uber or the liquor store forum and preach against the dangers of going into a liquor store during a pandemic. The hypocrisy and lack of support for cruising is astonishing. If people think cruising is not safe, then don't cruise. Here's a newsflash, as of 07/28 the U.S. is averaging over 66,000 positive Covid tests per day without cruising. So the Covid spreading danger clearly lies somewhere else other than cruising. The constant demonization of cruising as unsafe while giving every other Covid spreading industry in the country a free pass is naive at best or misinformation at worst. Either way if people have this much disdaine for cruising, why come on a cruise forum?

 

[lanejudy]

At least with cruising and no locals the Bahamian Govt can bring in badly needed port fees to help administer their country.

Based on the article posted, the Bahamian government wants cruise ships to dock at Nassau in addition to the private islands. I don't know how contracts work with regard to porting, but they may be able to require a "business center" port stop if cruiselines also want to stop at their private islands. The Bahamian government apparently isn't interested in private island-only cruises.

 

[Snowwhyt]

Are there a lot of passengers shaking hands with the lawn guys? I've been about 10 or more times and not only have I never been in contact with one, I've never even seen one. Wouldn't be hard at all to separate these two enormously different classes of people on the island.

It's almost like people sit back and think up ways to overcomplicate stuff but meantime offer no solutions to the real problems of 66,000 covid positive people a day here who are clearly not catching it from cruising, so the danger is clearly somewhere other than cruising. We can sit back and think of reasons why we can't do something or try to think of ways we can. Since we are on a cruising forum, I am going to continue to think of ways that we can cruise instead of joining the chorus of those who come across as anti-cruising. I don't get the people who come on a cruise forum and preach against cruising. I bet they don't go to the Uber forum and preach against Uber or the liquor store forum and preach against the dangers of going into a liquor store during a pandemic. The hypocrisy and lack of support for cruising is astonishing. If people think cruising is not safe, then don't cruise. Here's a newsflash, as of 07/28 the U.S. is averaging over 66,000 positive Covid tests per day without cruising. So the Covid spreading danger clearly lies somewhere else other than cruising. The constant demonization of cruising as unsafe while giving every other Covid spreading industry in the country a free pass is naive at best or misinformation at worst. Either way if people have this much disdaine for cruising, why come on a cruise forum?

I looked it up on Wikipedia. (I understand not the most reliable, but somewhat reasonable information). Apparently my estimate was off, it’s about 60 employees. I assume all 60 are not gardeners but do you require to go to another island to pick up personal supplies. I’m also thinking the gardener you mentioned would have come in contact with foreign citizens on a daily basis but they would have to report to every store/doctor they intended to enter.
So just not the Employee numbers and exposure we first mentioned.

Ps late add,
I do love to cruise hope to go in January.

 

[T & R]

The Bahamian government apparently isn't interested in private island-only cruises.

That's the part that baffles me from a Covid perspective. I get it from his point on a business perspective, they need people spending money in Nassau but I just don't think it will work from a Covid perspective. Right now it seems like we are doing all or nothings and we're currently at nothing.

 

[T & R]

I looked it up on Wikipedia. (I understand not the most reliable, but somewhat reasonable information). Apparently my estimate was off, it’s about 60 employees. I assume all 60 are not gardeners but do you require to go to another island to pick up personal supplies. I’m also thinking the gardener you mentioned would have come in contact with foreign citizens on a daily basis but they would have to report to every store/doctor they intended to enter.
So just not the Employee numbers and exposure we first mentioned.

I think the island will survive no outside staff for the 10 hours we're in port. It's either that or nothing and right now we're at nothing. That's not good for a country that is up to 85% dependent on tourism. If you don't work out a solution then the consequences of no tourism(income) overtake the consequences of the virus.

 

[wombat_5606]

Bringing in local Bahamian vendors is an option, not a requirement. It's a private island, there's no requirement that they bring in locals.

I'm not so sure that your statement is entirely true. Disney does not own Castaway Cay. They have a 99 year lease, and as part of that lease, possibly it is a requirement that they have a Bahamian presence on the island.