As of tomorrow Carnival Cruise will no longer be making its weekly year-round calls to Dominica, bringing an end to a 21-year service.
In an official statement in August the cruise line’s Senior Vice President Brendan Corrigan said the decision was taken in light of the high cost of fuel, which has forced the company to restructure its schedule across the region.
Government says the withdrawal of the vessel will not just affect the tourism industry in terms of visitor arrival but more significantly the livelihoods of those who stand to benefit directly, like small business owners, taxi drivers, vendors, and farmers, among others.
Since the announcement there has been a wide range of speculations about the “real” reason behind the cruise line’s withdrawal, including the cleanliness of the city, among others.
The political opposition, as well as tour operators and small entrepreneurs, have all voiced their concerns about the matter, but Government says all avenues of negotiation have been exhausted, as Carnival Cruise is firm in their decision.
Government says it is working on securing a replacement vessel in the near future.
@rc popular pm yes,but can that move the country foward u retard,why did u even give a comment.probably u n the pm hav allu secret villas n more whoknows words of advice dominicans look for allu pockets n stop worryin about politicians who looking for themselves.
I wonder what are the names of the other countries that was cut in their route??? Shouldn’t we know? Well let me call Carnival Cruise to inquire!
@Preciosa: Just shut up. Do your research. America not give a flying F**K about dominica or any caribbean island. They a big hypocrites. They shacking hands with their old enemies. The have biggest destructive arsenal in the world,but they calling people terrorist
@monster: no visa restrictions yet hun, and lets hope it stays that way, yes i suppose some of the thing the PM does is not liked by some of the world, but it is dominicans who chose to put him in charge, and you all knew who his friends where, when he was re-elected, and he can run the country how ever he likes, and he can involve dominica with whom ever he likes, the only way dominicans can control that is by whom you put in power.
but no matter the reason, it is still a massive blow to dominican and there familes, out of tourist season, the destiny was always a little ray of light on a tuesday.
when you hear so many negative things being said about dominica on the spoken news, the written news,etc. i have no doubt that this would impact and prompt such a discision, at least even if the opposition want to get back in government,they need to realize that if one day God forbid that they would be there,that all these negative and viscious statements will come back to hunt them. I live in guadeloupe as a dominican,and it is sad to hear people who hope one day to be leaders of this blessed country lambase it so brutally,i realize too that just as i am away and hear and know what is happening in dominica,these people also hear and know,so while these opposition party,is blaming the government for this misfortune of the carnaval pullout, they have a very big part to play in it U W P for the good of the country don,t oppose just for opposing sake.
THERE IS WAY TOO MUCH NEGATIVITY ON DOMINICA’S LEADING MEDIA OUTLETS!!! I WOULDN’T BE SURPRISED IF THAT PLAYED A ROLE, OR CONTRIBUTED IN SOME WAY SHAPE OR FORM. DOMINICANS SHOW TOO MUCH PRIDE IN AIRING DIRTY BUSINESS… BY COMPARISON, THERE ARE A LOT WORSE DESTINATIONS THAN D/CA, BUT PEOPLE ARE STILL DYING TO VISIT THESE PLACES. IF THE PATRONS OF THE CRUISE SHIP SHOWED HIGH INTEREST IN VISITING DOMINICA THE CRUISE LINE WOULD HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO COMPLY! APPEARENTLY, THAT MAY NOT BE THE CASE!!!
PEACE!
I feel the need to respond to “LYCAN” with all due respect to you sir or mam,do you ever take the time to research on what ever subject matter you choose to deal with am some what disapointed in most of the comments you post…please explain to me why “NORWAGAINCRUSELINE”
only visits “DOMINICA” once a year,let me inform you that, that particular vessel visited our island once every week before,stop all you rubbish sa pa tote dominchare ke sorte..
hello, reading this item makes me feel so sad. i do not know how others view it but its a sad situation. not long ago there was a ship that also said bye bye. its like the loss of a good friend or even a good visitor waving bye bye for the last time. i can assure you my friends, this pull out by these visiting ships is based primarily on the the attitude of we dominicans. just take a look at some of the comments, the language used, the grammer, the anger etc etc. and its not only the attitude of the ones on the street but also the politicians. none of us are present at their negotiating table but knowing them and their manner of expressions i can only see those they are negotiating with only sit back smiling not understanding anything. some of these politicians talk so angry, so macho, so big, so ever smart but my god they are not being clever. it hurts, and its hurting, and as gregory isaacs would say, “its so sad to know our friends are leaving”. blame no one but ourselves.
@Eyes on Dominica: A valuable contribution made here. We are in need of an effective structure for the management of our tourism product. It really doesn’t matter what were the reasons offered by the cruise liner. We now need to analyze and see how we can go forward.
We need:
– a vending arcade, representative of who we are: the Nature isle of the Caribbean/World. That arcade would fit nicely in the lot opposite JE Nassief – an almost replica of the Kalinago village.
– our craft and gastronomy have to be what we sell to the visitors. We need to be different, every island the tourists go to, they get the same thing – Chinese made craft items. Let’s promote our natural talent – the wood carvers – Albert Shillingford and Albert from Pottersville. A division of the Tropicrafts and the Workshop for the blind, a few well stocked local cuisines offering creative national dishes with a first class customer service.
– Education of those involved. I know the Dominica Tourist board has been trying to get all on board. Everybody has to understand that this is our livelihood – we have to change our attitudes, we need to sell our products!!! Dominica is our gem but we can proudly share her with the world!
There is much more to be said, but until drastic measures are not taken, we will continue to be dealt unfortunate hands like these. Let’s wake up and show the world our GEM!!!
–
u idiots they only withdraw from da cuz off chavez dealings with all u hungry prime minister.america is on the alert for the safety of their people.why should chavez go to iran 2 stand up against america 4 tryin 2 stop iran from havin a nuclear plant.can’t blame carnival cruise 4 doin that,it was jus a simple way of backin away from us ,jus as the british put their visa regulations on us.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/carnival-profit-edges-lower-on-fuel-costs-2010-06-22
It was a business decision based on the bottom line plain and simple. No conspiracy.
Carnival is pulling out of most islands n the Region, not only Dominica, stop behaving like Dominica is that bad. We need to offer Carnival Cruise line a special incentive to continue.
@Eyes on Dominica: good ideas but who going to do that! ian douglas stupes!! dream still!!!!
Everybody knows that the reason for the withdrawal of Carnival Cruise rests with issues other than fuel prices. The government of Dominica will suffer for witholding the TRUTH! Ian’s Dog lost knows it, but will not tell the truth… i.e. hostile Foreign Policy. It has NOTHING to do with blue and yellow tarpaulins on the Bay Front. By the way Roseau IS VERY VERY VERY DIRTY and Filthy! Much more can be done to improve the sanitation of the “City”????
you are not a dem visitor! get a life where ever you from it’s not better
Interesting that “Sad” would refer toteh vast majority of Dominicans as Skerrit’s “ignorant base”. I would have been quick to refer to him as a Dominican who is not in the “know”. but when I hear how the “talk-show” hosts describe Mr. skerrit supporters as corrupt, inept, devoid of understanding, inept immoral etc then I submit that “sad” would eb among the short list of Skerrit haters.
Prime Minister Skerrit is the most popular Prime Minister that Dominioca has ever had. So whether Lennox and “sad” et all give recognition to that fact that is their business. Their disinterst cannot change what is a fact. That is what is killing them.
We in Dominica must take charge fo our business. Some time ago when government was making moves to settlle and organize the bayfront, the opposition shouted on every radio station that the government was kiling poor people and want only the big boys to eat bread. Simply put the government should not interfere but rather allow the rat race, stench, confusion and mayhem to continue. Well today we have only ourselves and our attitude to blame. i was on a cruise recently and Dominica, my country was the least organized and managed port for visitors. We have been moaning and complaining about Cruise Visitors. I suppose those who are on record opposing the development of the cruise industry must be. I suppose they have a plan to assist with supplementing the loss of income. The have all the ideas. Just allow them a break on the radio and television and they will provide you with all the ideas for developing Dominica. That is all they are good at.
So what do we do?. We cry and blame each other along partisan lines rather than bite the bullet and do what is absolutely necessary. Blaming each other will not bring back that particular ship.Certainly not in the short term. but if we put our act together, we might be able perhaps by a long shot to convince Carnival that they should send a replacement ship in the shorty to medium term. See what we have done to ourselves.
After a 21 years business relationship with Dominica, Carnival Cruise Lines says good bye to Dominica. While this decision is cause for concern we cannot change or reverse the cruise line decision; they are gone effective Wednesday 3rd November 2010. Certainly the decision will impact total visitor arrivals and the foreign exchange which was generated during the weekly calls by the cruise line. The private sector individuals and businesses that will be most affected by this move are the vendors, taxi drivers, tour operators and tour guides. The public sector organizations that will be most affected are Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division (FWPD), The Treasury, and, Dominica Air & Sea Ports Authority (DASPA).
I am sure that all involved in the Tourism business have reflected on this decision for some time now having had two (2) months to engage in serious introspection on the various reasons that may have caused the pull out. Much of the decisions and “corrective” measures taken during these past months have however been reactionary and may not significantly assist Carnival Cruise Lines to reverse its decision to reinstate Dominica on its southern Caribbean cruise itinerary. I therefore believe that more avenues need to be explored to retain the remaining cruise business and to attract new cruise business to Dominica.
In light of the fact that over the past few years Dominica has not been able to attract any significant increases in the stayover tourism business when compared with the increases in passengers that the cruise ship sector has generated, I am calling on the Government through the Minister of Tourism to establish:
(1) a Cruise Industry Commission that will be given the mandate to develop the cruise sector. This Cruise Industry Commission (CIC) should be comprised of a general body represented by one representative from each of the following relevant public (Customs, Police, DASPA, FWPD, Dominica Water & Sewerage Company -DOWASCO, Dominica State College – DSC, and, private sector (Dominica Hotel & Tourism Association – DHTA, Dominica Watersports Association – DWA, Vendors, Tour Guides, Taxi Associations, Operators of Private Attractions, duty free shopping operators, cruise ship agents, farmers) but the CIC should be run by a board of at least six (6) recognized persons who have had a long and successful relationship with the Cruise Industry/Stay over Tourism sector/Hospitality/Human Resources Development and Training (Honorable Norris Prevost, Ambassador Charles Maynard, Senator, the Honorable Charles Savarin, Dr. Maria Bellot, Ms. Marie Jose Edwards) and the current Minister for Tourism, Honorable Ian Douglas. There could be a Project Management Unit as well comprising technocrats like Sharon Pascal, Steve Johnson, Benoit Bardouille to name a few;
(2) To revisit to Cruise Tourism Policy of 1994 published in collaboration with the Caribbean Tourism Organization since there are very important recommentations within this policy that need to be analyzed further;
(3) Revisit the Yachting Study published in 2003/4 in collaboration with the United Nations Commission on Latin America and the Caribbean (UN-ECLAC) with a view to seriously growing the yachting sector;
(4) Revisit the current Tourism master plan to determine whether we are on the right path that we think we might be on especially in terms of infrastructural development projects as it relates to cruise port developments, roads and side walks, policies, strategies etc;
(5) Develop a comprehensive program to address the issue of ATTITUDES and the crime issue and the delivery of quality service;
(6) Development a proper policy and strategy to deal with the emergency readiness of Dominica as a Tourism destination; and,
(7) Designing a effective and sustainable holistic tourism development programme for the island by revisiting all the past development plans, policies and programmes in order to select the best practices and most appropriate ideas to grow our Tourism and our National Economy creating employment for the people and generating important foreign exchange for the country.
I am calling on other contributors to share their ideas as well since Dominica is for all of us to build and we must all work hard to ensure the success of not just the cruise ship and stay over tourism sector but all sectors of the national economy. However, if we begin with the cruise ship sector and do it well it will hopefully serve as the model to use to develop the other sectors of the economy.
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE 2010 TO ALL DOMINICA AS WE CONTINUE TO FIND CREATIVE WAYS OF “CREATING OPPORTUNITIES AND EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES”
@Anonymous: stop saying u are visitor u are a damn dominican .some things u should not put on the internet. we all know is not for fuel the boat stop coming da but about bathroom doh put them things on the internet. if you say the hospital is not ready for visitors and the place need to upgrade i would say truth.now we all are going to lost the little US we were making .they must take the money they getting from venezula and make the port look good.
How much business does the cruise ship bring into Dominica? when a ship comes in some people hang around the city, others take taxi to the very few so called tourist sites around the country. once I was home and looking for a place to get some lunch at a restaurant across from A C S when this guy from a cruise ship came in looking for lunch saying that he was told this is where he would get some good dasheen but there was non available . later I was driving on bath road and saw a few tourists taking pictures at a cementary .The truth that Government needs to admit is that money is made only from stay overs . take a look at the bay front, there are people offering hair braiding to the visitors but most of them are white who do not wear braids .I rember RB douglas saying that we should stick to agriculture because we will never be making bicycles in Dominica that was true then as it is now. He diid not mention begging or an imagined tourist industry
I am so sad for dominica, and also the amount of tourist that will now not see the beautiful nature island of dominica, i do not think it has anything to do with the cleanliness of the capital, even though a little street cleaning and deodarizing now and then would not go a miss, but most level headed tourists know that capitals are noisey and busy and a little bit dirty, look at london for goodness sakes, but the country side is beautiful, just like dominica.
i think it is the cruise liners trying to cut cost, and because Dominica is less tourists based than say antigua or st Lucia, that is why Dominica got the chop.
i send all my best wishes to all the vendors and the bus drivers whom used to hang out waiting in front of garraway, who became my friends, i will say my prayers that with this door closing another one will open for you all soon.xxxx
All I can say is that it’s a very sad day; and admist all the politics of whatever reason it is that they will be not be stopping in D/ca, we will all suffer. Whatever little the tourists bought when they visited, did help. Saying that the vendors dont help themselves; they could be more proactive in helping to keep the stretch clean. After all it is their livelyhood at stake.
NOTHING LASTS FOR EVER UNDER THE SUN. CARNIVAL WANTS TO PULL OFF SO THE HAD TO FIND A REASON. LIFE MUST GO ON. AVAN MALENG MOUCHE TE’ KA VIVE.
its the policies of this Govt…The DLP Govt is way too Corrupted by alot of dark sided deals etc…they went at last min to speak to the cruise officals but seems nothing came out of it…
tell you something the Feds privately dislike the Dominica Labour Party Government..
since we got independance this is the worst Government ever to be in office….they just a bunch of small minded kids just listen to how childist the Prime Minister sounds..he takes nothing seriously
The Prime Minister is so backward in his behaviour he owns the 8 Villas but thinks all Dominicans are stupid he always tries to cover up his corruputed practices by a crooked smile and some spin talk to mislead his ignorant base…. time will tell….
Lennox keep the pressure up on that bunch of jokers called Labour who suck the blood out of their own backers…who cant see any light at all…
@reasons: ARE YOU SERIOUS!!!!!!? You think it’s cause of drug trafficking? Dominica doesn’t have a big traffic problem. The coast Guards are doing a good job! Look at Jamaica they still get liness backing up for days!! Do u think they have a drug problem over there? Did you even watch the news when they had that big stand of!??? IT has nothing to do with any B.S stop talking B.S about nothing you know and adding Dominica name to it. You guys will make ppl believe we really some sin island. AGAIN IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH DRUG TRAFFICKING. Learn your facts mr.
Its more than just a clean city. The Government of Dominica isn’t doing whats right. look at the amount of drugs thats coming from Mexico via Venezuela to the Commonwealth of Dominica to make it final stop in the USA. the Americans don’t like that. The Government of Dominica needs to clean up that drugs thing. Extradite the kartels to the states.
As a visitor to Dominica for many years, it is time the vendors along the Bay Front, clean up their act. Visitors can’t get to the stores, because they are always under foot. It is time they had a bathroom of their own, instead of using the cement around them. Sometimes the stench is awful, when you visit. If no money is available, it is time for them to form a committee of their own, and keep it clean. Also, people need to put their garbage in the cans, not just through it down. Vendors, and taxi drivers want the business, so keep it clean.