Caribbean News
Carnival Cruise Line drops popular port (Grand Turk) from multiple sailings
Passengers booked on several upcoming Carnival cruises just got some disappointing news
- Alisha dos Santos
- Apr 19, 2025
Cruise itinerary changes can happen for a number of reasons — from poor weather conditions and safety concerns to port scheduling conflicts and construction work.
But no matter what the reason, itinerary changes are usually disappointing news for passengers, especially for those who book a certain cruise specifically for the ports the ship will visit. When a cruise port is removed from an itinerary without any explanation, it can also lead to unfounded rumors and speculations about the port’s safety for travelers.
Carnival Cruise Line just caused this kind of stir among cruisers when it removed one sought-after Caribbean destination from multiple cruise itineraries without providing a reason for the change. The impacted cruises include several sailings between now and June aboard three ships — Carnival Vista, Carnival Venezia, and Carnival Mardi Gras.
On each of the cruises, Carnival has replaced Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos with Amber Cove, Carnival’s private destination located on the northern coast of the Dominican Republic near Puerto Plata.
Carnival cancels upcoming visits to Grand Turk for operational reasons
The decision to divert these ships from Grand Turk to Amber Cove was made for operational reasons, according to Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald, who received a number of questions about the port cancellations on his popular Facebook page.
“I really don’t want people to think there is anything that they should be concerned about,” Heald replied to one passenger who wrote to him about the change. “It’s just operational, but [what] I can definitely say is the [fun is] waiting for you, the crew will give you the best of times and Amber Cove really is a fabulous place.”
One thing that does concern some travelers about visiting Grand Turk is the U.S. State Department’s recently updated Level 2 travel advisory for Turks and Caicos, which alerts travelers to exercise increased caution in the popular Caribbean islands.
Turks and Caicos strictly enforces its firearm regulations, which outlaw firearms and ammunition, including single bullets brought by mistake in carry-on bags through cruise port security checkpoints. Last year, one Royal Caribbean passenger was detained for weeks for unknowingly bringing ammunition to Grand Turk.
To be clear, Carnival is not canceling all stops at Grand Turk, only certain calls due to operational reasons that are unrelated to the country’s travel warning.
Carnival promises passengers an enjoyable time in Amber Cove
As some Carnival cruisers consider how losing a visit to Grand Turk will change their vacation experiences, they have questions about Amber Cove. One passenger wrote to the cruise line’s brand ambassador with concerns that popular excursions in Amber Cove might already be booked for the soon-approaching date of their visit.
“Hi John, we are cruising on the Venezia on May 11. I know that Grand Turk is changed to Amber Cove. I’m wondering if any excursions will become available,” Linda Martin-Ellinwood wrote. “We are extremely disappointed because we had reserved a cabana by the pool and now with Mardi Gras already scheduled for Amber Cove for months, I am assuming excursions like cabanas are not available.”
Heald assured the concerned cruiser that Amber Cove add-on activities would soon be available for passengers to book.
“Thank you, they will become available very soon, so starting early next week, please check and you should see them there,” Heald replied. “Thank you, I do understand your disappointment. I really do. However, Amber Cove is beautiful. I’m sure you’re going to love it and I’m absolutely positive you are going to have a wonderful cruise.”
Carnival Cruise Line is providing passengers booked on the impacted cruises with an onboard credit for $50 per stateroom in appreciation for their understanding about the unexpected changes.
By Deandrea Hamilton | Magnetic Media
October 14, 2025 – It’s being called political theatre — but for citizens, constitutional watchdogs, and democracy advocates across the Caribbean, it feels far more serious. Within a single week, two national parliaments — in Trinidad and Tobago and St. Kitts and Nevis — descended into turmoil as opposition members stormed out in protest, accusing their Speakers of bias, overreach, and abuse of parliamentary procedure.
For observers, the walkouts signal a deeper problem: erosion of trust in the very institutions meant to safeguard democracy. When Speakers are viewed as political enforcers instead of neutral referees, parliaments stop functioning as chambers of debate and start performing as stages for power and spectacle — with citizens left wondering who, if anyone, is still accountable.
October 6: St. Kitts Parliament Erupts
The first walkout erupted in Basseterre on October 6, 2025, when Dr. Timothy Harris, former Prime Minister and now Opposition Leader,
led his team out of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly in a protest that stunned the chamber.
The flashpoint came as the Speaker moved to approve more than three years’ worth of unratified parliamentary minutes in one sitting — covering 27 meetings and three national budgets — without individual review or debate.
Dr. Harris called the move “a flagrant breach of the Constitution and parliamentary tradition,” warning that the practice undermines transparency and accountability. “No serious parliament can go years without approving a single set of minutes,” he said after exiting the chamber.
The Speaker defended the decision as administrative housekeeping, but critics were unconvinced, branding the move a “world record disgrace.” The opposition’s walkout triggered renewed calls for the Speaker’s resignation and sparked a wider public discussion about record-keeping, accountability, and respect for parliamentary norms in St. Kitts and Nevis.
October 10: Trinidad Opposition Follows Suit
Four days later, on October 10, 2025, the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) in Trinidad and Tobago staged its own walkout from the House of Representatives in Port of Spain.
The UNC accused the Speaker of partisan bias, claiming she had repeatedly blocked urgent questions, ignored points of order, and allowed government members to breach standing orders without consequence.
“The Speaker has failed in her duty to act impartially,” the Opposition declared in a statement. “Parliament is not the property of any political party or Presiding Officer.”
The dramatic exit was seen as a culmination of months of rising tension and frustration, with opposition MPs arguing that parliamentary rules were being selectively applied to silence dissenting voices.
Political analyst Dr. Marcia Ferdinand described the twin walkouts as “a warning sign that parliamentary democracy in the Caribbean is teetering on the edge of performative politics.”
“When chairs become political shields rather than constitutional referees,” she said, “democracy becomes theatre, not governance.”
A Pattern Emerging
While St. Kitts and Trinidad are very different political environments, both incidents point to the same regional fault line: the perception that Speakers — the guardians of parliamentary order — are no longer impartial.
In Westminster-style systems like those across the Caribbean, the Speaker’s authority depends not on power but on public confidence in fairness. Once that credibility erodes, parliamentary control collapses into confrontation.
Governance experts say the implications are serious: eroded trust between government and opposition, declining public confidence in state institutions, and growing voter cynicism that “rules” are flexible tools of political advantage.
Why It Matters
Parliamentary walkouts are not new in the Caribbean, but what makes these recent events different is their frequency and intensity — and
the regional echo they’ve created. Social media has amplified images of lawmakers storming out, with citizens from Barbados to Belize questioning whether the same erosion of decorum could be happening in their own legislatures.
Analysts warn that if this perception takes hold, it risks diminishing the moral authority of parliamentary democracy itself.
“Once opposition MPs believe the rules are rigged, and once citizens believe Parliament is just performance,” said one Caribbean governance researcher, “you’ve lost the most valuable currency in democracy — trust.”
Restoring Balance
Political reformers across the region are calling for tighter Standing Order enforcement, independent parliamentary service commissions, and training to strengthen Speaker neutrality. Civil society leaders say the public must also play its part by demanding transparency and refusing to normalize partisan manipulation of parliamentary procedure.
Whether these twin walkouts become catalysts for reform — or simply another episode of Caribbean political theatre — will depend on what happens next inside those chambers.
For now, democracy watchers agree on one thing: when opposition leaders feel the only way to be heard is to walk out, the entire democratic house — not just its Speaker — is in danger of collapse.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
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