No ‘Emerald Princess’ bonanza for Falmouth
WHILE THE Emerald Princess broke the 20-month drought at Historic Falmouth – the multibillion-dollar cruise shipping pier in the Trelawny capital – the anticipated bounty several craft vendors and other business operators were expecting did not materialise.
The 11 artisans invited to put their wares on display at the newly opened Falmouth Artisan Village were left bitterly disappointed as the vast majority of the 1,700 passengers chose not to disembark the vessel.
Basket-maker Lorna Williams said that only a few visitors ventured on land and they showed very little interest in the items craft vendors were offering for sale.
“Throughout the day, only five guests came into the area where we were. They just walked, looked, and asked me a few questions. There was no interest in making any purchase,” said Williams. “Even when I invited one to feel the material used to make the basket, she said they were told not to touch anything, which was a part of the ship’s COVID-19 protocol.”
Another artisan, who asked not to be identified, told The Gleaner that if Sunday’s cruise call was a signal of how things would unfold in the coming months, then the dark days for the sector were not yet over.
“If this is what it’s going to be like, not even transportation money we will make, much more rent money for the stall,” the man said.
STRICT INSTRUCTIONS
Joy Roberts, of Jamaica Vacations Limited, confirmed that the guests were given strict instructions as it relates to their interactions with locals.
“Those guests who had pre-booked tours had to observe all protocol. The drivers could not make an unscheduled stop ... . We were made aware that the Centers for Disease Control was observing every move. One wrong move could destroy the whole cruise business for Jamaica,” she said.
Roberts said that other ships are scheduled to make stops in the Georgian town in the near future.
“Royal Caribbean, with its fleet of large ships, including the Oasis of the Seas, is looking forward to returning to Falmouth. We are in discussions with the Ministry of Health with a view of putting all in place for the protocol surrounding COVID-19,” she said.
CarolRose Brown, director of Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation, is hoping that going forward, all 44 artisans at the village will get an opportunity to display their wares and generate an income, noting that vaccination against COVID-19 would be key.
“The more people get vaccinated, the easier it will be for the industry to get back to where it was,” said Brown.