Ocho Rios Cruise Port Resumes Operations

Carnival Corporation’s Holland America docked at the Ocho Rios cruise port in St. Ann on Tuesday (November 11), making a resumption of operations since the facility suffered storm-surge damage in February 2024.

The vessel, with nearly 3,000 passengers and crew, brought relief supplies for victims of Hurricane Melissa. Members of the crew joined clean-up efforts in nearby communities.

Residents, business interests, transport operators, and other stakeholders were on hand for the arrival of the vessel, which signalled a welcome return to cruise activity.

“A great day… smiles all around,” said Mayor of St Ann’s Bay, Councillor Michael Belnavis.

“We have all waited since February last year for this day to arrive and here it is. This means so much to us here in Ocho Rios and the wider St. Ann… considering how tourism and cruise shipping are a major part of the local economy,” he added.

Local business leaders welcomed the port’s reopening as a timely and crucial boost for the town’s economy.

Senior Director of Taj Mahal Plaza in Ocho Rios, Sanju Chatani, noted that “our tenants here at Taj Mahal as well as the wider community are very dependent on the cruise ships, as you can imagine”.

Double V Shopping Centre Owner Colin Mills; Transport Operator Robert McKenzie; and Dunn’s River Craft Market President, Devon Mitchell, also voiced optimism about the pier’s reopening and the boost it will provide for the local economy, particularly for craft vendors and transport operators.

An official ceremony to celebrate the reopening is scheduled for Wednesday, (November 12) with local officials, business leaders, and cruise industry representatives in attendance.

The event will include a briefing on ongoing safety upgrades, continued restoration work, and partnerships designed to sustain Ocho Rios’s status as a premier cruise destination.