Caribbean News
Turks & Caicos Islands Welcomes the Newest and Largest Carnival Ship to the Destination
#TurksandCaicos, January 15, 2022 – After the successful reopening of the Turks and Caicos Cruise Sector, the Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board is happy to announce that the destination has now welcomed the Carnival Cruise Line’s newest and largest ship the Mardi Gras for the first time.
In celebration of this momentous occasion, the traditional plaque exchange ceremony was conducted. Hon. Otis Morris, Minister responsible for Home Affair, Transportation, Broadcasting, Energy and Utilities, and Telecommunications Commission, awarded the ship’s captain the plaque on behalf of the Turks and Caicos Islands Government and in returned received a plaque on behalf of Carnival Corporation from the ship’s captain. Due to health and safety protocols, and to ensure the safety the of visitors and residents alike, the scale of the ceremony was downsized and guests aboard the ship were not invited to participate in the festivities, nor was the embarkation of the vessel by Government officials conducted.
The ship arrived at the Grand Turk Cruise Port on Thursday, 6th January 2022, with over 4,135 passengers and a crew of 1,673, persons. Named for the original ship that took Carnival to the seas in 1972, the Mardi Gras is an XL-
Class ship that accommodates over 6,500 passengers. This ship boasts the very first roller coaster at sea, where guests can throttle through the air at speeds of 40+ miles per hour, twisting and turning around Carnival’s signature funnel. Named the BOLT: Ultimate Sea Coaster, it is also home to Carnival Water Works, the largest and most elaborate aquapark in the Carnival fleet. Carnival has indicated that this ship will be added to the regular line-up of cruises scheduled to port on Grand Turk and is expected to arrive to the destination bi-weekly.
Deputy Director of Tourism Ms. Mary Lightbourne commented: “We are extremely excited to welcome the Carnival Mardi Gras and add it to our vast portfolio of cruise ships that arrive to our ‘Beautiful by Nature’ destination. Grand Turk is considered one of the most sought-after cruise ship destinations and with the successful expansion of the port we will be able to accommodate new and larger ships like the Carnival Mardi Gras. Due to this expansion, we are also predicting an increase in visitor arrivals, with figures exceeding pre-pandemic arrivals.”
The Deputy Director also emphasized that “Grand Turk is ready and eager to welcome visitors to the destination and treat them to the authentic Turks and Caicos experience.”
The Turks and Caicos Government put mechanisms in place to ensure that the destination was prepared to welcome cruise ships once again and as a result, Grand Turk is expected to have robust tourism season, with the quality of service provided exceeding the pre-pandemic standards.
KINGSTON, April 29 (JIS):
Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, says the outcome of discussions arising from the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) will assist in guiding the Government’s planning for climate change.
This, he points out, is important for climate mitigation as well as building Jamaica’s resilience.
“We look forward to the discussions that will, no doubt, take place. We look forward to the basis of planning for the Government to streamline its investments to ensure you have the tools that you need to better advise us, that the WRA (Water Resources Authority) has the tools to digitise its monitoring network, and that all of the agencies that touch our planning mechanisms have the tools. But we need to know what we are facing, and we’re guided by your expertise,” Minister Samuda said.
He was addressing the opening ceremony for the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in New Kingston on Monday (April 29).
Senator Samuda said given the fact that the climate has changed and continues to do so, investments in and collaborations on building Jamaica’s predictive and scientific capacity must be prioritised.
“Ultimately, we need to be able to assess our current climatic realities if we are to better plan, if we’re to insist and ensure that our infrastructure meets the needs that we need it to. I’m very happy that this event is happening… because this is a critical issue.
“Jamaica, last year, faced its worst and most severe drought… and this year, we’re already seeing the impacts of not quite as severe a drought but, certainly, a drought with severe impacts, especially in the western part of the country,” he said.
Principal Director, Meteorological Service of Jamaica, Evan Thompson, explained that the forum aims to, among other things, establish a collaboration platform for climate services providers and users to understand risks and opportunities of past, present and future climate developments, as well as improve inter-agency coordination of policies, plans and programmes.
Among the other presenters were Ambassador, European Union to Jamaica, Her Excellency Marianne Van Steen; Chief Scientist/Climatologist, Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, Adrian Trotman; and Head, Regional Climate Prediction Services, World Meteorological Organization, Wilfran Moufouma-Okia.
The Meteorological Service of Jamaica hosted the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) in partnership with the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology and the World Meteorological Organization.
The National Stakeholder Consultation is a governance mechanism that guides how different sectors or actors work together to create products that contribute to adaptation and resilience-building. It seeks to create a road map for the development and implementation of climate services to inform decision-making.
NCF-1 aims to bridge the gap between climate providers and users. It increases the use of science-based information in decision-making and operations with the aim of generating and delivering co-produced and co-designed products and services.
CONTACT: CHRIS PATTERSON
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