Pre-booked Carnival Cruise Ship to Arrive on Monday, September 13

The following is a release from the Tourism Ministry Of Jamaca

KINGSTON, Jamaica; September 11, 2021: 

Tourism Minister
Edmund Bartlett

The Carnival Sunrise cruise ship is scheduled to arrive in Ocho Rios on Monday, September 13, 2021 with approximately 1,700 cruise passengers onboard.

Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, outlined that “this will be the third cruise ship arrival following the reopening of cruise tourism in August 2021.  The schedule for the cruise season had been agreed on with Carnival Cruise Line prior to the imposition of the no-movement days under the Disaster Risk Management Act.”

“The two previous cruise arrivals in August were successful and all the required protocols that had been agreed on with the cruise line were very strictly observed and monitored,” he added.

Minister Bartlett explained that the protocols and strict monitoring will remain in place for this and subsequent cruise ship calls. Arriving cruise visitors are permitted to visit only establishments within the Resilient Corridors that are certified by the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) and permitted to travel only on transportation licensed under the Tourist Board Act.

“Carnival Sunrise has to meet strict measures governing the restart of cruise shipping, requiring approximately 95% of passengers and crew to be fully vaccinated and for all passengers to provide evidence of negative results from a COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of sailing. In the case of unvaccinated passengers, such as children, a PCR test is mandated, and all passengers are also screened and tested (antigen) on disembarkation,” Minister Bartlett underscored.  

Minister Bartlett also emphasized that the port of call has met protocols laid down by the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the cruise companies, with TPDCo also monitoring conformity to the rules.  

“The Cabinet made a decision to facilitate the cruise arrival on a no-movement day to honour our agreement with Carnival Cruise Line. We are confident that the robust protocols and controls that have been put in place are sufficient to keep both our population and the arriving passengers safe” Minister Bartlett added.

He noted that: “In our quest to protect lives and livelihoods, the Government seeks to maintain Jamaica’s position as the premier cruise destination in the region while working closely with our cruise partners to maintain the highest standards of safety.”