KUDOS TO
JAMAICA for its handling of the situation involving the
early-morning fire aboard Princess Star Princess on March 23 as the
ship was en route from Grand Cayman to Jamaica. Jamaicas crisis
management plan, used most recently during the hurricanes of 2004
and 2005, was immediately activated when officials first got word
of the fire. Our crisis plan involved quickly galvanizing the
support of dozens of agencies on the national and local levels,
said David Shields, deputy marketing director of the Jamaica
Tourist Board in Kingston. The agencies included the Office of
Defense, the Ministry of National Security, the Port Authority, the
fire services, the Jamaican Defense Forces, the ministries of
health and tourism, the Jamaica Tourist Board, the Jamaica Hotel
and Tourism Association and the Tour Product Development Co.
REPRESENTATIVES of these agencies, along
with helicopters, ambulances and a full medical services team, were
on hand at the pier in Montego Bay when the ship docked. Several of
the injured passengers were airlifted to the hospital by
helicopter. More than 500 passengers had to evacuate the ship
because of the damage to 100 cabins. Our hotels were close to 100%
occupancy, but JHTA and the JTB were able to accommodate all the
passengers in hotels. We used properties from Negril to Ocho Rios
in addition to Montego Bay, Shields said. Meanwhile, he and his
staff in Kingston notified embassies and consulates in Canada and
the U.S. that many passengers had lost their passports in the fire
and needed emergency replacements. All the passengers were flown to
Fort Lauderdale two days later; the ship was towed to Freeport,
Bahamas, and from there it will travel to a shipyard in Germany for
repair. Its remaining western Caribbean cruises have been canceled
and the ship expects to begin its European cruising program May
15.
AIRLINES in the eastern Caribbean might
soon increase their services to the U.S., thanks to a Federal
Aviation Administration decision that has removed decade-long
restrictions on their service to the country. The FAA elevated the
Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority to Category 1 status
from Category 2 status, which means the FAA determined the ECCAA
meets international standards for safety oversight. When the FAA
places a country in Category 2 status, which the ECCAA has been in
since 1996, airlines in that country cannot increase their service
to the U.S. or begin new service unless they lease the aircraft and
crews from a U.S. airline or an airline in a Category 1 country.
The nine-member OECS countries include Antigua and Barbuda,
Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia and
St. Vincent and the Grenadines (Anguilla and the British Virgin
Islands are association members). The FAA Category 1 status means
that regional airlines such as LIAT can increase access to U.S.
destinations, and Antigua-based Caribbean Star can begin service to
the U.S. William Skip Barnette, president of Caribbean Star and its
sister airline Caribbean Sun, said the regions new Category 1
status will accelerate expansion plans already in
development.
PENCIL IT
IN
" Sixth Annual
Taste of St. Croix, April 13, Hotel Caravelle, Christiansted. A
three-night package, beginning April 11, starts at $759, double,
and includes tickets to the event, daily breakfast, accommodations
and taxes. To book, visit www.hotelcaravelle.com; for event details,
visit www.tasteofstcroix.com.
" 24th Annual
Angostura Tobago Sail Week, May 14 to 19, Crown Point Beach Hotel,
Store Bay. For details, visit www.sailweek.com.
" 22nd Annual Texas
Society of the Virgin Islands Chili Cook-Off, Aug. 20, Bolongo Bay
Beach Resort, St. Thomas. More than 30 booths will compete for the
grand prize, which is a chance to compete in the final event in
Texas. Bolongo offers a fifth night free when four are booked, with
two of the nights being Aug. 19 and 20. To book, call (800)
291-6428.