MSC Poesia sails into Dominica

Tourism minister Ian Douglas presents gift to the ship’s captain

Dominica welcomed the ship MSC Poesia of MSC cruises to its shores on Monday morning for the first time.

The 963 feet liner docked at the Roseau Cruise ship berth after sailing from Martinique.

Minister of Tourism, Ian Douglas, welcomed the ship’s captain and crew and highlighted the various activities and attractions offered in Dominica, which according to him, makes the island unique.

He said a lot of money has been spent on the development of infrastructure in Dominica in an attempt to maintain the tourism sector and highlighted being able to offer clean water to ships as one of the main attractions of Dominica.

“We have spent millions of dollars putting in a filtration system to ensure quality water throughout the year despite heavy rainfalls,” the minister said.

He added, “We also spent millions upgrading a 500,000 gallon tank and one of the chambers of the tank is dedicated to supplying the ship with water, so no matter at what time the ship requires water it doesn’t affect the surrounding communities.”

He urged the captain to continue to include Dominica on the ship’s itinerary for the next tourism season.

The passenger capacity of the MSC Poesia is 2,550, with 987 crew members.

The ship is expected to sail to St. Maarten after it leaves Dominica.

Cruise tourism is a major component of Dominica’s growing tourism sector. A total of 297,626 cruise passengers (194 cruise ship calls) visited Dominica during the 2011/2012 cruise ship season. Approximately 159 cruise ships are expected to call at Dominica during the 2012/2013 season, bringing nearly 229,526 visitors to the island

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19 Comments

  1. Anonymous
    December 18, 2012

    Ian’s move was good.
    Probably in future it might also assist him in marketing DA further by giving the ship’s captain a tape or some form of communication highlighting some of the wonders of DA. Let them listen to what DA has to offer. What benefits they can gain by coming to DA? Please tell them and let them find out by coming ashore and finding out about the island practically.

  2. In US. Soon come.
    December 18, 2012

    Why in the world that you Dominicans love to bash peoples efforts and never come up with some advice?
    Please if you want to bash peoples efforts do so constructively and add some positive advice. Otherwise you all make no sense. Prove yourselves to know and can do better or else ……

  3. britbob
    December 18, 2012

    When you develop a reputation (deserved or otherwise) for being a country that imprisons guests for their sexual orientation … that is what happens to your numbers. You can’t have your cake and eat it .

    • strange
      December 18, 2012

      u should have seen it live b 4 u post such comment. do ur research

  4. December 17, 2012

    HMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  5. "O" STRESS"
    December 17, 2012

    How many of them will come ashore and spend their money?

    • DOMINICA
      December 18, 2012

      How can we know that?
      Do you spend all where you go?
      sometimes say things without thinking.
      Persons may take a cruise because it is sheaper way to way to do a vaction than going to a hotel and spending daily for meals and accommodations.
      On the cruise is FREE food for the whole time you are on the ship.

  6. Back Ward
    December 17, 2012

    yes i that is one step forward and a hundred steps Back Ward… even the parrot ian giving the boat captain looking ahbehbeh… garson look makakwi… is now we pwi… :cry: :cry: :cry:

  7. ma gway sa
    December 17, 2012

    i cannot believe cruise ship arrivals viz the number of ship calls and the number of passenger arrivals have gone down so drastically. and dont blame it on global crisis… global crisis is everywhere yet arrivals moving up in some caribbean islands. but for Dominica which picked 500,000 iin recent years, it is a dismal shame and failure on the part of the ministry of tourism, discover dominica tourism authority and the dominica air and seaports authority to let cruise arrivals go so low… dominica really doiing down slowly…

    it seems to me that we have failed to make the island competitive and marketable… is best all you bring back the old staff man… in NDC days… it is just a shame to see how poorly dominica tourism is managed and marketed… all you really leading under the soul of your SHOES… it that is another next level… way papa it backward we… MA GWAY SA… is in botanical gardens i learn patois :lol: :lol: :lol:

  8. TRUEMAN
    December 17, 2012

    ***THE CAPTAIN IS NOT THE OWNER**

    “He urged the captain to continue to include Dominica on the ship’s itinerary for the next tourism season”.

    Mr. Minister, unless the capatain is the owner of the ship, the captain has NO control what countries his ships visit. He is just like a hired driver. The minister should be talking to the [ship’s] company management.

    Still, we do look foward in welcoming the ship’s travellers to our nature land.

    -Thanks

    • Jackie Brown
      December 18, 2012

      True.

    • Anonymous
      October 22, 2013

      I work for this company and i was on that ship that day he didnt even meet the captain… lol

  9. loyal Dominican
    December 17, 2012

    good job……labour

  10. Anonymous
    December 17, 2012

    Excellent speech content,Mr Douglas!!

    • Jackie Brown
      December 18, 2012

      Speech is cheap it does not cost a dine.

  11. aye
    December 17, 2012

    The captain is not the owner of the vessel. H is employment the company. Why is the minister begging the captain to stop in Dominica all these are acts of desperation. The man dsnt want to hear about dirty water and infrastructure and the neighboring community.

    • Justice and Truth
      December 17, 2012

      Some people are too negative. They always think of the worst; never positive. This is poor thinking on your part. Put on your thinking cap and think beyond. Do not assume that when the captain visits this is the end of the visit.
      My instinct informs me that he will conduct some sort of private and silent scrutiny pertaining to Dominica and will report to his management even when arriving in a country and leaving it.
      He represents the owner. He is not getting paid for only to captain the ship. I expect as with any business, they do conduct meetings and file a report.
      It is as an advertisement. Wherever he travels to and lands, he will relay the type of welcome he received, his findings, treatment of himself and the tourists to the owner/management of the ship. He will also inform them about the types of countries he visited. Then based on the report and discussions, management of the ship will determine if it is worth it to return to Dominica or not or any country for that matter.
      Keep in mind that the overseas travel agencies are the ones who book the passengers’ trip. They recommend Dominica as well. The tourists are also given a brochure and are apprized of the places they plan to visit. They are not paying money blindly or visiting blindly to a country. The number of tourists which visit depends on their interest. All this is between the owner/ management of the ship and the travel agencies. Does this not make sense to you?
      Therefore, as Minister of Tourism, he was within his right to welcome the captain and considering that it is the first time the cruise ship visited DA to provide pertinent information for their comfort. He is not begging. It is putting the captain at ease. This also means “selling Dominica and its attributes”. I would think this is the norm when cruise ships visit. He is fulfilling his duty.
      Furthermore, a little bragging about Dominica and what has been done to make Dominica a worthwhile place to visit will not hurt. The idea is to encourage the captain to return with the authority of the ship’s management. This is how business is conducted and developed.

    • watch dog
      December 17, 2012

      The way things work in the world is all about who you know. If it is easier getting to the company via the captian then why not. Why you people cant just say thank you rather than being so negative all the the time. If one were to examine the level of your productivity, what have you done towards the country’s development. I will help you nothing.

  12. jlowa
    December 17, 2012

    thats very nice but the problem is keeping it any woman can find a man but keeping him is where the job began so my douglas now that you all have find a new ship keeping i hope you all can do that but again thats a nice move thak you

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