News
Cruise Ships Delayed!
By Deandrea Hamilton
Editor
#TurksandCaicos, December 7, 2021 – Dredged sand sits in mounds on the beach in Grand Turk; the sand will be used to expand the coastal area where hundreds of guests to the island usually lounge and play when there is a ship in port.
The sand is a by-product of the ongoing off-shore dredging which is critical to getting those anticipated larger cruise ships into the Grand Turk Cruise Center (GTCC).
Images captured Monday (December 6) afternoon make plain the reason there was a postponement in the return of cruise ships to the Capital. 
“…an on-the-ground assessment indicates that slightly more time is needed. As a result, the initial planned return of Dec. 7, 2021, has moved to a return during the week of Dec. 13, 2021, with the exact date to be determined.
Both parties agreed to postpone the reopening to ensure that GTCC and the community of Grand Turk are ready for the first ship arrival after being closed for 21 months because of the coronavirus pandemic,” said the Ministry of Tourism statement issued Friday, December 3.
The project, which includes dredging of the cruise lanes into the Grand Turk Cruise Center and expansion of the port where cruise ships will berth, is touted as a $25 million investment.
While dock construction can continue with cruise ships in port, the dredging is what will allow the larger ships to pull up and must be completed first.
Radio Turks and Caicos (RTC) captured the images of the progress of work near the dredging site and in October, following the signing of the new agreement with Government, RTC obtained a comment from Giora Israel, Sr Vice President of Global Ports for Carnival Cruise Line. Mr. Israel was asked what elements of the expansion of the port would be ready in December.
“No, the extension will not be ready, but what will be completed and should be completed is the dredging process which is a very short period; 14 days maybe 21 days, so we hope to finish it as soon as possible.
Last week when everything was agreed-upon then we proceeded with instructing the dredger… the plan is to start the work immediately so they are coming here they are preparing. So once the dredging is over the ports can open,” said Mr. Israel in October.
In June, there was an island inspection led by Israel and Premier Washington Misick, where both agreed the aesthetics of Grand Turk required immediate attention and a massive spruce-up.
In October, there was the signing of the new agreement which gives TCI more earning power and greater autonomy
In November, a $1million fund to support a reboot of cruise businesses in Grand Turk was opened to applicants by the TCI Government. Yet, there remains so much work to be done in order to get Grand Turk ready for the resumption of cruising, including re-registering all vendors under the newly passed Beach Vending and Coastal vending law.
The Ministry of Tourism informed on Friday, that next week is when islanders can expect the first call of a cruise ship; a delay of six days.
“There is much anticipation of the opening and welcoming guests back after a 21-month pause, with all stakeholders playing their part to make it a success. The Ministry of Tourism, in a stint of training, is preparing tourism service providers for a reset in their product and services offerings to guests. Also, along with the extensive health and safety protocols taken by cruise lines, the Ministry of Health is playing an integral role in implementing measures to ensure safety and prevent the spread of coronavirus onshore.
The additional time will be used to work with GTCC and the community of Grand Turk to ensure that the return of cruise ships is a success.”
Expected to pull into the newly dredged port is, among others, the new LNG powered Mardi Gras, the largest in Carnival’s fleet. It would be the first cruise liner since March 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic put the Grand Turk cruise industry on a financially frustrating dry dock.