It was a busy day for the tourism sector with a total of five cruise ships docked at the Roseau Cruise ship berth, the Woodbridge Bay Port at Fond Cole and the Portsmouth Cruise ship Berth yesterday.
According to information from the Discover Dominica Authority, this is the second time during this tourist season that the Nature Island of the Caribbean had that many ships on port in the Roseau area at one time.
Information received from the Tourist Information Desk at the Dame Eugenia Charles Boulevard (Bay Front), stated that the MV Regata, MV Carnival Victory, MV Caribbean Princess, MV Ocean Village and the MSY Windsurf were the vessels anchored on the Roseau coasts today.
Two were docked at the Dame Eugenia Charles Boulevard in Roseau, while another two were on the Fond Cole coast. The fifth ship was docked at the Portsmouth Cruise ship Berth.
Though the head count of visitors was high, some vendors who were interviewed by Dominica News Online said that sales were relatively slow, as compared to the number of visitors.
Dominca News Online photographer Larry Larroque caught a glimpse of the scenes on the boulevard on Tuesday.
– Staff reporter
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Think outside the box…..
How did Dutch St.Marten do it…..duty free, casinos etc. You need to compete with the ship. They have everything on board to keep the potential visitors from getting off the ship to buy stuff on the ground.
THINK! THINK!
Obviously this should be a huge focus for Dominica!
People visit via ship, if they like what they see, they come back to stay longer – And tell others back home about their wonderful experience
As a worker on a cruise ship for about 14 years, I must say that our pier in Dominica is one of the worst We have seen. It is shabby looking, and unsafe. My ship comes to Dominica and it is a shame to hear all the comments that are being made by both the officers on the ship and the guests. Please mister prime minister you boasting of all the ships coming, fix the pier, as first impression is the lasting one. No one is going to remember Dominica for any thing other than the old raggedy, beat up pier. All the other islands that are smaller than Dominica have a nice pier and a terminal we have this piece of crap that you call a pier. so please use the cruise ship money wisely and invest in the country.
Yes cruise ship worker we should fix our docks but why don’t you all tell everyone that you do not pay a cent to dock up in Dominica while you pay over US$40,000 to dock up in ports like St. Thomas and Barbados for the couple hours and if there is a port where there is more traffic you pay more.
Dominica does not gain any thing significant from cruise ships except for we disposing of their garbage and supplying them with water.
I know what I am talking about I’ve been there and done that. So instead of criticizing our country by telling your passengers we are poor do us all favor and shut up.
After paying for all the amenities on a ship no one in their right mind would want to spend more cash ashore. cruse ship passengers do not spend their money ashore.
I know from cruising the Caribbean over five times I don’t spend money when I go ashore unless it’s on taxi. The ship even offers to pack you a lunch if you want.
It’s ironic that tourists will come and complain about our Caribbean islands when they come from countries where they can barely see the blue sky. It’s so funny sometimes when I see then come to the beach and stare at the water because it is blue cause where they come from going to the beach looks like when the Roseau river coming down. Yet still they want to come and pull down our island homes.
Please
I totally agree. with you “OK THEN”
“Cruise Ship Worker” I am sure you can make a positive rather than a negative criticism.
If your front door is infested with visible termites you don’t take a trumpet and sound the unfortunate embarrassment, you either call the exterminator or replace the door.
Hope you got the point.
PS ( I can’t stand it when people try to bring down my country rather than find innovative ways to build it up)
U guys are not getting the point, we need to develop the country to attract people. hello are you guys sleeping? Do you guys travel? Do you know that when our ship dock in Dominica that 95% of the guests and crew go on Tour? who benefits? all i am saying is that we can do better and it is very embarrassing to see that st marten and Antigua did it and we cannot do it.. Get the politics out of our development and develop the Island already. Do you think the ships get water for free? and If you did not know all guests and crew pay taxes to dock in Dominica, don’t know where u getting your information, but i also have facts, you want me to send you the documents cause i can.
Our company loves Dominica as we are one of the few islands that do not boast shopping and beach but boasts the unspoiled beauty itself hence the reason it is the Island that most guests purchase a tour. And if for some sick reason you beleive that our Island does not gain anything significant from cruise ships then i must say you are even a bigger fool than you sound. For if we were not gaining anything why would the country go through such great efforts to get them to come to our Island. Are u listening to yourself? If we are not gaining anything why have the ships dock at all, lets just close the ports cause it is of no use. see what i am trying to say??????
Listen to yourself……. we do not pay a cent to dock in dominica? Who’s fault is that? why do we have tourism ministers or ministers at all? what is the difference between Barbadoes and Dominica or even St Thomas? You do not see the reviews from the guests. They much rather to come to dominica and go see the falls than to go shopping in St Thomas. So why our people do not market our country properly and stop selling us cheap. Maybe then just maybe we can fix our pier and complete that fantasy vacation experience for the tourists so they can come back. that is the whole point. we have been hosting ships for years and we do nothing with the cruising money i am just saying maybe we can use the money better and fix our pier. St marten never had a pier we used to take small boats to come to the island and in a matter of years they used the cruise ship money and created a very nice pier and terminal at least the people see where the island money going…. but where ours going? where is it going??? in whose pocket???? that is what you have to ask yourselves and stop thinking that i want to bring down my country, I will never live my country i am the first one to sell the country to the guests when they come onboard, i recommend places and taxi drivers and shops and tours, … should i go on???? you people make me sick it is all about politics, stop putting politics before all you country, your children and your children’s children will suffer in the long run. think about that!!!!!!
tell ian doglast the ting they sent down possie was no cruise ship!! customer service is key and we need to get our act right..the man cant even do his demotion well…stupess!!!!
Cruise tourism is an opportunity for us to showcase our country very cheaply. The way to look at it is like offering those people an appetizer. If the product is good, they will go back to their home countries and talk about the place. More people will have heard about Dominica thereby encouragign them to visit later.
Also, if those who came on a cruise had a good experience, that might also encourage them to visit for a longer period. For example, my wife and I visited Tortola on a cruise. That is a place I will definitely visit for a longer period. That is what Dominca needs to do. Make the visit memorable to encourage them to return.
Some of you guys need to stop looking at this as a short term measure. We need to build on the opportunities cruise tourism offers us.
Excellent point Piper
I am sure some (hell what the heck……..I bet, a lot ) of those Salisbury constituents, must be questioning the vote they cast back on 18 December.
Not taking up your seat in Parliament, now saying Cruise Tourism is Crap.
Way to go Negbawi.
Negbawi,
if you are looking to hold onto your seat in parliament, you are certainly doing a good job for any one who wish to contest the Salisbury seat, come a By-Election or 2015.
Keep up the good work you are doing for your Salisbury constituents.
if 1000 spend $1 that mean da is $1000 richer .i saving to go on a cruse for years now ,i still cant save enough to go.
Live up….it is very cheap to go on a cruise and if you’re saving what you’re supposed to save, you can go on a cruise easily!
love
Build it; and they will come! Everyone is talking about stay over visitors, the question we must ask, is this. When will our Government take the initiative to encourage investors especially Dominicans,who are abroad to participate in building quality Hotels/Resorts that meets international standards, and partner with well recognized brand Hotels, to bring a westin brand, meridian, marriot brand, radison brand, a crowne Plaza brand ; anywhere from 50 rooms to 200 rooms capacity. not the Layou river scandal hotel , but something that says we can compete.
Train the staff in the service industry. That is my take, provide the land for free , and let our tourism industry grow, unless we think out of the box, then we will be outdone by other countries, while we ask why don’t we have stay overs. I have heard that same concern as a kid; having worked in the service industry for over 20 years. I recently make a move to a career that gives me more time to spend with my small kids. Although, I am also interesting in being one person that will ensure that I will contribute in building the dream. Colinous Vanhorn Stated ” If we can’t export the scenery, we will import the tourist” over 150 years ago, and it is still true today.
Sorry to say.. BUT we must also select and train our vendors to speak and to receive people in a proper professional manner…This would really help
They do train them but they are ignorant so they don’t do as they are trained to do; like all Dominicans that is because we all get some training in customer service and we don’t bring it play!
Make hay whilst the sun is shinning.
It is a very, very good thing. A sign of things to come. Dominica needs to just gear up for it, think outside the box to make the best business sense out of it and come up with ways of harnessing its tourism potential.
Stay-over tourism is good too, but Dominica being still virgin to tourism would do good not to Reinvent the wheel but learn from the pros such as Aruba, St.thomas, St.Martem etc…..they make mega millions and provide for their economies on cruise tourism. St.Thomas was built on cruise tourism, even without casinos. D/a will need to think outside the box, we can make it big with cruise tourism.
Both types of tourism compliment each other.
Nonesense and Neg Bawi, you guys are wrong. Cruise ship tourism is not a total waste of time are suggesting. It has benefits.
I encourage you guys to read “Sources and Magnitude of Economic Impact on local economy” by Bradly Braun and Fred Tremell. On pages 287 and 288 of that book the following points were made:
“Cruise ship passenger generally spend money and time in ports of call and homeports. In the case of the port of call the amount of time and money spent by cruise ship passengers depends on the length of stay and the amenities available both on and off the ship. Amenities include shopping, sight seeing, visiting beaches, eating, gambling and so on. The challenge of the port of call is coax passengers off the ship and open their wallets.”
The last sentence offers the challenge to our local tourism officials. They need to market Dominica in such a way that excite passengers to get off the ship. When they disembark we must offer the type of amenities that uniquely captures the essence of Dominica.
I could go on but the point I am trying to make it that cruise ship visits can be profitable. It is left to us to build the proper infrastructure to exploit it.
the vendors need to adjust their prices> tourist dnt want to spend more than $5 for a souvenir. All the vendors sell the same things and their prices are too high. Then the tourist will start to spend.
It’s not the price but the presentation. when you present your things in a decent manner tourists tend to flock to you. People like neatness which sadly many of the vendors do not practice.
Also self presentation is another issue:
many vendors dress like paupers to sell
I know I don’t want to buy from someone who looks like a beggar I will avoid them.
And the begging is so unsightly. I remember going back to Dominica one year and the vendors were actually calling out to me and calling me darling and sweetie, come on no tourist likes that.
And for goodness sakes stop treating tourists like they are walking US dollar bills come on man. where is the class?
this is excellent as it indicates that dominica do have something good to offer, taxi drivers, vendors now need to joing forces an dbe creative in offering something different on the ground level.
@ Nonesense:
You make a lot of sense (lol). I have always said that islands never benefit much from cruise ship tourism. Its just crap really. Most of them even bring their own food off the ship with them so that they don’t have to by food while they are walking around, and then they leave their litter behind for us to clean up.
sorry to say but these pics arn’t convincing at all… at the end of the day the vendors have as much items to take back home as they came with…. can’t force the people tobuy but something can be organised to help the vendors for example a more organised and attractive vending ou
All these so-called officials with their long degrees and Phds after all these years have yet to understand the need of the traveller/holidaymaker/tourist. You don’t need a degree to understand that cruisehip tourists like airplane tourist/travellers look for bargains when they travel. The pick up an all packaged cruise and hey there is more interesting activities on the ships than on land … like what we have to offer them for them to buy or come back for stay-overs. The useless spending of money by our tourism officials…maybe they should take some of that money take a cruise and understand and learn the cruiseship culture. Ships docking here have specific things in mind….a port to dock at and do major engine checks among other things. Do you think that they will come off a cruise ship and go to fort young duty free shop and buy perfume at an exorbitant price and be told it’s duty free when they can get the same products at a fraction of the price and still with duty free.
The vendors need to be more friendly and approachable not seeming like beggars …we are a strong people let us be proud of it and not let those so-called educated tourism officers dump rubbish down our throats as to how we should relate to the visitors. Some of the visitors leave a tip even though they didn’t want anything from the stall…why? the attitude of the vendor. Some don’t get anything..then again why? their attitude or that some tourists are just not interested in some of the craft on offer. Loading the tourist unto a bus off up to wotten waven with pot holes the sizes of the boiling lake make some of them write unsavory reviews about their trip. I suppose some of those well educated tourism officials have yet to become familiar with the world wide web and blogging, twitter, and facebook maybe they should sign up with some of those travel sites to see how visitors comment about their cruise.
well well…i see this thing about one sided-ness will never change..poor Portsmouth ,they feel sorry for you and give you one cruise ship..hmm lets be fair here..but its still good to hear that there is some progress in the cruise and tourism industry .
This one of the craziest things ever. Here we are Promoting sustainable and Eco-Tourism but yet still allowing 5 ships to dock in Dominica.
They come buy a one dollar coconut and leave.
Brilliant Mr. Minister of Tourism and Associates.
They can either come and buy the one dollar coconut and leave or it can stay on the tree and rot. How many coconuts did you buy? You get it? Look at things positively. Everything takes time to improve. Change your attitude and encourage others to do the same. Treat the visitors with respect you and all other Dominicans and things will definitely get better.
Peace.
We need an international airport in dominica so people can come and stay over night and not just 10 people on liat i mean 400 hundred people a week or even more
And where would they sleep? We don’t have enough hotel rooms to accomodate 400 or more tourists a week.
Cruiseship Tourism is a complete waste of time unless we can find a way to get them off the ship to at least collect on the headtax. Stay over is where we should be focussed if we really want to be in this game….
I agree, most of them are poor, they spend years saving for a trip so I don’t think they would part with their money that easy, assuming they have some. Anyways, I think the cruise industry is a farce.
To say that most cruisers are poor indicates to me that you have never been on a cruise. I have been on 4 cruises and you meet people of all income brackets.
Carnival cruise line caters to the newbies and those on a budget, but you will still find people who are by no means “poor” on those ships.
Other cruise lines cater to higher income people, by virtue of their prices. To make a general statement that cruiser are poor should a lack of knowledge of the indistry.
I said most, not all.
taxi drivers making all the money while vendors struggling to sell sumthing.. most times u can’t blame the visitors most of them want to explore the island rather just walking in the town to buy stuffs…on the other had this is a wake up call in lengthening and widening the dock…..that s***t is way too small…just look at the amout of ships that is out there
That s*** was not suppose to be so small, ask the powers to be “what did they do with the original design approved by the French”? If it was followed as submitted it would be an envy.
Five ships is good but it really doesn’t mean that the vendors make a lot more money. These tourists need to start spending more cash when they come to D.ca.
How about the vendors giving them reason to spend cash? How many cheap Chinese made trinkets can one buy up and down the islands?
Good point Piper,
Tourists are willing to spend money on something that will last and give memories. sometimes you wonder why tourists buy more expensive things in boutiques but not buy cheap things from vendors? The answer is simple, people want value for money. A person who understands the worth of a dollar would more easily buy a painting from a local artist costing $100. than sticker that is mass produced then resold at a ridiculous price.
This is coming from a person who has been in the tourism industry for many years.
Well I just came off a cruise and passed through DA. In the evening after we left DA the cruise director in the theater asked “How was Dominica?” well I shivered when the whole theater roared with claps and approval. DA I was so proud.Keep it NATURE.