Kingston to the world!
‘M/V Monarch’ revisited
JAMAICA AND Spain have a centuriesold connection. When Columbus stumbled upon the land of wood and water, he was on a mission in the name of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain. After the Spaniards eventually destroyed the Taino societies and set up their own political and social systems, their Jamaican colony, too, was decimated by the British.
Fast-forward to present-day Jamaica. The Spaniards are back setting up luxurious hotels, and making cruise ship calls to our ports. And late last year, the cargo port of Kingston got an unusual visit from a cruise ship named M/V Pullmantur Monarch. Operated from Spain by Royal Caribbean Cruise Ltd, it was the biggest cruise vessel ever to dock at Kingston.
At the plaques and keys presentation ceremony held on board, there were many brief speeches. Carmen Rives Ruiz-Tapiador, charge d’affaires in the Embassy of Spain in St Andrew, was one of the speakers. The longstanding connection between Jamaica and Spain was not lost on her, and with her sunny and affable style, she evoked smiles and laughter from the gathering of crew, journalists and government officials.
Ruiz-Tapiador was quick to remind the gathering why Jamaica and Spain remained popular tourist destinations: “We are two fun-loving countries, and people love us”. She said tourism was the driving force for the Spanish economy. It enabled Spain to grow, and has helped the evolution of democracy in Spain. And while the tourism focus for both countries is on sun and sand, we are also looking at other types of tourism, including ‘cultural’ tourism. She was thrilled that the M/V Monarch stopped at Kingston, one of her favourite cities, she said, her “home now.
“I have to congratulate you for being pioneers, and bringing back the attention to Kingston in the cruise ship world,” she said to the crew members and the government officials. She believes the idea of cruise passengers stopping at a cargo port is a very interesting one. Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett laughed loudly at that utterance.
“I think, from a tourism perspective, it is extremely interesting to land at a cargo port and learn about how you bring these containers in and how people work, that’s also an attraction by itself,” Ruiz-Tapiador said, “I truly believe Kingston has a lot to offer to the world.”
This is evidenced by her dealings with the city. Ruiz-Tapiador can be seen cycling around downtown on Sunday mornings.
The synagogue on Duke St, the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Coronation Market, National Heroes Park and the churches on Sunday were singled out. So was Ward Theatre, in
the heart of Kingston. She told the smiling Bartlett that he needs to fix “that amazing theatre”.
And turning to Captain Arkadiusz Branka, she said, “I want to organise a Rae Town party on board.” This was followed by much laughter. “I tell you, if you organised that party on board, you would have been overbooked for five years. Kingston would be the preferred destination. We did it at the embassy, you know. The people from downtown, the dancers, and they came to the residence of the Embassy of Spain, and there was a revolution.”
Ruiz-Tapiador said she is looking forward to the betterment of the relationship between Jamaica and Spain, and when she passed the microphone to Bartlett, uncharacteristically, he could not find words.
Captain Branka, in responding, said there have been hard rock, rock and roll, and disco cruises, but never reggae. Yet, he said, “Diplomatically, we are technically ready for it.”
Looking at the broader picture, Ruiz-Tapiador said Jamaica has something amazing, “a special magic” that she does not find anywhere else. And because of that, Jamaica has “crazy fans” from all over the world. She spoke of meeting non-Jamaicans who know the lyrics of songs from singers like Alton Ellis, Beres Hammond and Dennis Brown, better than some Jamaicans, “and they want to come here,” she explained.