Falmouth Pier booked up to year-end

KINGSTON – President and Chief Executive Officer of the Port Authority of Jamaica,Noel Hylton, is reporting that the Falmouth cruise ship terminal is fully booked for cruise ship arrivals for the remainder of the year.

He was addressing the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce’s (JCC) Board of Directors luncheon forum held on March 15 at the Knutsford Court Hotel in Kingston.

He informed that since the port started receiving ship calls some six weeks ago, “we have put 30,000 passengers through that terminal already.”   Among them are mega vessels such as ‘Voyager of the Seas’ and ‘Freedom of the Seas’.

The port is slated to be officially opened on March 22, with the event to coincide with the arrival of the world’s largest cruise ship, the ‘Oasis of the Seas’,with 6,000 passengers and some 2,000 crew members.

The construction and development of the port was a US$221 million joint effort between Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (RCCL)and the Port Authority.

“We decided to construct, not just another terminal, but one destined to be among the world’s leading cruise ship terminals, with modern high-tech capabilities, state-of-the-art security systems and a facility that is regarded as second to none in the world,” Mr. Hylton said.

He explained that neither the Montego Bay nor the Ocho Rios piers could accommodate the mega ships that the Falmouth port can handle due to their physical limitations and navigational constraints.

“We therefore had to find a new location and incidentally (at) that new location in Falmouth…all the land has been dredged from the sea; that is new land that we have created,” he informed.

Mr. Hylton pointed out that because of its strategic location, the Falmouth port has the potential to enhance economic life in Ocho Rios and Montego Bay, as it will allow cruise passengers to easily access attractions in these resort areas.

He assured however that Ocho Rios and Montego Bay will not be neglected, noting that “as soon as the facilities at Falmouth are completed we will turn our attention to reorganising the Ocho Rios and Montego Bay ports."

“With these three terminals, the Jamaica cruise shipping industry is now poised for tremendous growth,” he added.

In the meantime, the Port Authority President said that emphasis is being placed on refurbishing the town of Falmouth “so that passengers can move seamlessly into the town without realising that they have left the terminal."

The work includes developing a 18th Century concept for the town, including putting in cobblestone streets, ancient tramcars and the planting of some 500 trees.

Mr. Hylton informed that aadditional plans for the port will be unveiled at the official opening.

By ALECIA SMITH, JIS Reporter