TCI News
Grand Turk could welcome near 14,000 Carnival cruisers in February
#TurksandCaicos – December 11, 2020 – February Carnival Cruise Line has four cruises scheduled for an early February return to Grand Turk, and it could mean 13,874 visitors over four days as all of the voyages are fully booked.
It has been nine months since a cruise ship berthed at the Grand Turk Cruise Center; the impact of Covid-19 flat lined economic activity on the island which welcomes over one million cruise visitors each year.
Carnival’s schedule reveals the plan is to set sail with its Carnival Elation out of Port Canaveral with 2,040 passengers in a fully booked cruise. Elation takes off on the four or five night cruise on February 1 and on the itinerary are Freeport and Nassau in The Bahamas; Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic and Grand Turk.
Carnival Sunrise is also fully booked with just under 3,000 passengers. It leaves the Port of Miami on February 4 with stops into Cozumel, Mexico; Key West, Florida; Amber Cove, Dominican Republic; Grand Cayman; Ocho Rios, Jamaica and Nassau and Half Moon Cay in The Bahamas. Grand Turk is the third stop on the five-night cruise.
The cruise liner, Mardi Gras is the longest of the cruises which includes Grand Turk on its itinerary. The seven-night trip also has the most passengers, 100 percent booked with 5,200 people on board. Grand Turk appears to be the first stop on the sailing which leaves Port Canaveral on February 6.
The final cruise for the capital island of the Turks and Caicos, according to the media report featuring early February sailings for Carnival is on February 7. Carnival Breeze sails from Port Canaveral on a seven-night voyage at capacity, which is 3,650 on the liner.
Grand Turk, Nassau and Amber Cove are the ports listed for the February 7 cruise.
Carnival Cruise Line, as have other cruise companies is being made to comply with stringent standards for public health protocols given the horror stories of rampant infection, passengers and crew left medically destitute, denial of dockings by Covid-weary countries and the death toll as the pandemic mercilessly marred their industry.
The US Centers for Disease Control unveiled its ‘Framework for Conditional Sailing’ on October 30 and it was beyond expectation.
Cruise companies are now scurrying to meet the standards which require on board laboratories, improved screening strategies of crew members and the CDC requires each cruise company to run a test cruise in order to be certified as fit to set sail from North America.
The CDC issued a No Sail Order on March 14, 2020.
The last cruise ship to dock in Grand Turk was the Carnival Magic on March 6. It was a contentious finale after TCI Health Officials denied passengers’ disembarkation due to in-country rules related to the dreaded Covid-19 contagion.
Originally published in the Magnate; our brand new E-newspaper. Want it every morning? Contact Deandrea Hamilton: 649-231-9261. We are the News Leader.
PRESS RELEASE
FROM THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
YOUTH, SPORTS, AND CULTURE
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 8th October 2024 – The Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports, and Culture under the leadership of Hon. Rachel Marshall Taylor is pleased to announce the successful evacuation of all Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) students from the Orlando and Tampa area in anticipation of Hurricane Milton, a Category 5 storm. Protecting the safety and well-being of our
students remains our top priority, and swift action was taken to protect them from potential danger.
A total of six (6) students returned to the Turks and Caicos Islands today and two (2) students will return, tomorrow, Wednesday, October 9, 2024, while four (4) students will remain with family members in other states.
The Ministry remains steadfast in its commitment to safeguarding the welfare of all Turks and Caicos Islanders, particularly our students, both home and abroad. Special thanks is extended to the Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies (DDME) for their support in this endeavour.
On behalf of the Premier, Hon. Charles Washington Misick, we extend our thoughts and prayers for the people of Florida and all other nations impacted by Hurricane Milton, hoping for their safety and swift recovery.
***MEDIA RELEASE***
Turks and Caicos, October 08th, 2024 – Marine Branch Officers of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RTCIPF) responded early today (October 8) to a report from the Radar Station regarding a suspicious vessel near Bird Rock, Leeward Settlement, Providenciales. 
At 1:28 a.m., officers aboard the Sea Pursuit intercepted a 34-foot grey Panga fiberglass boat with a 250hp Yamaha engine, transporting THIRTY-TWO (32) illegal migrants—two females and 30 males, suspected to be of Haitian descent.
The illegal migrants were handed over to the Immigration Task Force for processing. Border Force, TCI Regiment, and TCI Customs also participated in the operation.
The RTCIPF can confirm the following statistical data for the year (October 08) thus far:
Number of Interceptions: Fifteen (15)
Number of Males: Nine Hundred and Forty-Seven (947)
Number of Females: One Hundred and Ninety-Five (195)
Total number of Illegal Migrants: One Thousand One Hundred and Forty-Two (1142) Included in the 1142 figure are TWENTY-FOUR CHILDREN.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Mat Newton said, “The number of people interdicted this year is considerably lower than last year when we detained a total of 4016 illegal migrants at sea. In the previous six months, we have seen an expansion of our radar capabilities, and the collaboration and coordination with the Border Force and the TCI Regiment, together with air and marine assets from the United States and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, has never been better. We will continue to work closely with national and international allies to deter people from making these perilous journeys and target the gangs who facilitate the illegal trade. We build our national capability every month and will do whatever it takes to interdict illegal vessels bound for the Turks and Caicos Islands.”
The RTCIPF asks the public to notify the closest police station, contact 911, the Serious Crime Unit at 231-1842, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477 to anonymously provide any information on illegal activities.
Additionally, individuals are encouraged to download the Crime Stoppers P3 app to share information anonymously.
Turks and Caicos, October 8, 2024 – Mr Fitz Bailey was officially sworn in as Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Turks and Caicos
Islands Police Force (RTCIPF) today, October 7, in a ceremony led by H.E. Governor Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam at Police Headquarters in Providenciales.
His appointment is set for three months to enhance the RTCIPF’s leadership capacity.
Mr Bailey brings extensive experience from his time with the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), where he held senior roles in critical areas such as the Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB), the Intelligence Branch, and the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch. (C-TOC). His accomplishments include reorganizing the JCF’s Crime Reporting and Case Management Policy and establishing a Cold Case Unit.
Mr Bailey holds advanced degrees in Psychology, Criminal Investigation, and National Security and has a background in Accounting. Acting Commissioner Rodney Adams, Assistant Commissioner Kendall Grant, Acting Assistant Commissioner Mat Newton, and HR Consultant Joe Perry were also present at the swearing-in ceremony.
-
News5 days agoMINISTER OF TOURISM LEADS TURKS AND CAICOS DELEGATION TO PRODUCTIVE SOTIC 2024
-
Caribbean News5 days agoTOURISM MURAL UNVEILED IN DOWNTOWN KINGSTON
-
Health1 week agoMinistry of Health and Human Services marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2024 – under the theme: No-one Should Face Breast Cancer Alone
-
News4 days agoTCI DELEGATION ATTENDS LAUNCH OF THE CARIBBEAN ASSOCIATION OF PROBATION AND PAROLE (CAPP) IN BARBADOS
-
Caribbean News5 days agoLong-Term Approach Must Be Taken to Fix Coffee Farm Roads – Minister
-
Bahamas News2 days agoTHE BAHAMAS MINISTRY OF TOURISM, INVESTMENTS & AVIATION EMBRACES ‘TOURISM AND PEACE’ FOR WORLD TOURISM DAY 2024
-
Caribbean News3 days agoMassive Hurricane Debris field to be tackled with CARICOM Funding to SVG
-
Bahamas News3 days agoPartnerships formed to deal with complaints of emissions from industrial plants in GB