A great day for the sister islands when the first tall cruise ship in six years calls at Cayman Brac
The ship arrived at Cayman Brac just before 11am on Valentines Day 2014, the ship which was operated by Star Clippers Ltd from Sweden, had 114 passengers on board, most of whom embarked the ship to visit Cayman Brac. It anchored off the northwest coats of Brac and was the perfect size to visit the islands, the Star Flyer was identified years ago as a good fit for cruise ships to visit Cayman Brac.
Officials said that around 80% – 90% of passengers came ashore at Scott’s Dock (Cemetary Pier) a group of 16 took the island bus tour and a few people paid for diving/snorkelling excursions, some rented cars and more than 30 passengers used return taxis to the South Side of the Islands.
Speaking to CNS Business on today’s video clip, Kirkconnell said the smaller ships would adds some balance to the tourism product of Cayman Brac by adding cruise visitors.
While there is no safe anchorage or enough calm days to book some of the larger cruise lines, he said, “If we can take our time and find some of the smaller cruise adventure vessels that their passengers are looking for adventure coming ashore – a small island that for all practical purposes has not been discovered by the mass tourist share – it gives them the opportunity to brag about a place they’ve been but their friends have not.”
“This cruise vessel and the company itself certainly suits that type of profile of (people) we’ve been trying to attract. So, we’re very, very pleased this morning of how it’s going. We’re please at the interaction the guests are having with the craft market that’s been set up and the island tours that they are taking and the interaction with the people.
“We’re here to meet them and greet them and they ask us a lot of questions,” he said, adding how nice it was “hearing the questions and the compliments about what a beautiful island Cayman Brac really is”.
Heidi and Juergen Weiler, a German couple on their third trip aboard the Star Flyer, said the service on the ship was first class and it had a 70% repeat rate. Their 14-day cruise went through the Panama Canal – the main reason they chose this particular trip – and would end in Cuba, where they planned to spend another ten days.
The Weilers told CNS Business that the US citizens who were passengers on the ship disembarked in Grand Cayman, where the ship called the day before, since they are not allowed to go to Cuba.
The Star Flyer left the Brac around 7:30pm, heading for Cuba.
Source CNS Business
