In lower than a month, the individuals of Grand Cayman will vote on whether or not to construct a brand new cruise pier with berthing amenities sufficiently big for giant cruise ships. Cruise passengers are all for it, however native residents have lots to consider.
This would possibly sound like a easy improve, however the development and improvement of a cruise dock like that is elevating some vital questions that might have an effect on your future cruises to Grand Cayman.
Proper now, cruise ships visiting the islands have to make use of tenders, small boats that switch passengers backwards and forwards from ship to shore.
Even with the approaching vote looming, Grand Cayman is already seeing a spike in cruise visitors in 2025. In reality, early numbers present a 22% improve over final yr.
However 2024 was a slower yr for the Cayman Islands with round 750,000 visits. In distinction, the primary two months of 2025 already brough over 310,000 cruise passengers to the islands.
The “Sure” Camp: Simpler Entry and Extra Guests
Those that need an precise pier constructed argue that it’s important for the way forward for cruise tourism in Grand Cayman. They imagine that with out these amenities, cruise traces would possibly begin taking their greater ships to different islands with fashionable docking capabilities.
The numbers in 2025 thus far don’t bear that out, however going ahead it’s a risk.
The thought is that extra berthing might imply extra ships, probably bringing extra vacationers and boosting the native economic system.
There’s additionally the concept that a docking facility would make it simpler and sooner for passengers to disembark and benefit from the islands. This implies extra time in Grand Cayman and probably extra foot visitors and extra income.
In spite of everything, with Grand Cayman a easy stroll from the ship, extra passengers who may need stayed on the ship in any other case could determine to take pleasure in among the choices within the Cayman Islands for some time.
The “No” Camp: Needing Extra Data
Not everyone seems to be on board with a brand new docking facility although. Some native teams are strongly urging a “no” vote. They elevate some severe considerations that cruisers ought to pay attention to:
- Lack of Data: Proper now, voters are being requested to say “sure” with out a clear plan. Native information shops reported that there’s no detailed finances, no particular design, and even the precise location of those potential docks isn’t set in stone. This makes it onerous to know the true affect of the mission.
- Environmental Worries: Grand Cayman is known for its stunning and vibrant coral reefs and marine life. The “no” marketing campaign say it’s not definitely worth the environmental risk. They are saying that dredging (digging up the seabed) and development within the harbor might hurt these delicate ecosystems and even harm historic shipwrecks – points of interest many cruisers come to see.
- Financial Questions: Whereas extra ships might imply extra money, some consultants are questioning whether or not constructing these costly docks will truly ship the promised financial advantages. They level out that cruise passenger numbers have been declining in lots of Caribbean locations just lately, even these with berthing amenities. There’s additionally a scarcity of clear information on what number of native residents actually rely solely on cruise tourism.
What Does This Imply for Cruisers?
The vote is about to occur in 26 days, and the end result has actual implications to your future cruise experiences in Grand Cayman.
If the “sure” vote wins out and people new docks get constructed, future cruise stops in Grand Cayman will most likely imply a a lot smoother and faster solution to ashore. Suppose no extra ready round for these tender boats – you could possibly simply stroll proper off the ship and begin your island journey. That further time might actually make a distinction in how a lot you get to see and do.
I do know the final time I used to be in Grand Cayman I used to be pressed for time, and the additional time it took for tenders to get again to the ship simply added to this time crunch. I’d have a lot slightly spent extra time on the Cayman Turtle Centre.
However the Cayman Islands are additionally recognized for being a terrific place for divers and snorkelers to benefit from the vibrant marine life. Nobody needs to see that broken.
The primary difficulty proper now’s info. We nonetheless don’t have concrete figures with the place the berthing amenities could be, how a lot they’d price, or what sort of affect it will have.
And that price is one that might get handed onto cruise passengers within the type of port charges. We’ll know extra in about 4 weeks.