Reopening of Ocho Rios Port Brings Joy, Optimism

People who operate businesses in and around Ocho Rios have expressed joy and optimism at the reopening of the main port in the resort town to accommodate cruise-ship arrivals.

The Ohio Rios Port was closed in February 2024 after strong winds slammed a docked cruise ship into the pier causing severe structural damage. During the closure, scheduled ships were rerouted to other ports such as Falmouth and Montego Bay.

Port-based vendors and cruise-dependent entrepreneurs who were out in large numbers on Wednesday (November 12) to welcome passengers from the Carnival Sunshine cruise liner were grateful for the development.

A day earlier, Carnival Corporation’s Holland America docked at the pier with nearly 3,000 passengers and crew.

Tour guide for almost 30 years, Ann-Marie Collie, told JIS News that the reopening of the facility is a “blessing for the people who are dependent on this industry”.

She noted that her job has given her the wherewithal to take care of her obligations, including sending her daughter to university.

“The craft vendors, the tour operators, the store clerks and others… we feel good about this. I am so elated. Thanks to everyone who made this possible,” she stated emphatically.

Pedi-Cab Tour Operator/Manager Rory Ashman from Falmouth in Trelawny told JIS News that he is pleased to see the return of cruise ships at the port.

“I am glad I was able to be here in Ocho Rios for the reopening of the Ocho Rios Port that was closed for almost two years, and we are grateful to get back to work here so we can maintain our livelihoods”, he said

Tour Operator Jermaine Morgan, for his part, pointed out that while the port was out of commission some of the drivers were able to operate from hotels but noted that this was not the case for everyone.

“Some drivers depend solely on the cruise ships, and some have a hard time financially when cruise ships don’t come in,” he said.

“The majority of my colleagues are excited about the reopening of the pier because this has been a long year and eight months for some people. This reopening is a joy for us drivers. It has been a long while since we have had two ships in port in two days so we are happy for this,” he added.

The tour operator pointed out that Ocho Rios has a high concentration of attractions, which keeps visitors in the resort town, and this translates into business to stimulate the local economy.

President of the Olde Market Craft Shoppes, Althea Davis, told JIS News that the traders who operate in the market “are very excited about the opportunities for business that the reopening of the pier is bringing”.

“We had a rough time during the closure. Approximately half of the traders could not come to work during the downtime because it was so slow. So, knowing that it is now back in business, we get the opportunity to come here and sell our wares and we are very happy for that”, she told JIS News.

The Government of Jamaica, through the Port Authority of Jamaica, worked assiduously to ensure that the main terminal was reopened during the 2025 cruise season, which began in September. This included the construction of new mooring dolphins and other restorative work.

Mooring dolphins are concrete structures along a pier to which vessels are secured with ropes.