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After a 2-year absence, cruise ships are finally returning to the Cayman Islands

March 22, 2022
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4 min read
Caribbean, Cayman Islands, George Town, Luxury resorts and Seven Mile Beach
After a 2-year absence, cruise ships are finally returning to the Cayman Islands
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The Cayman Islands are finally back on the map for cruisers.

This week, the popular Caribbean cruise destination is welcoming cruise ships for the first time in two years – ending one of the longest COVID-19-related cruise ship bans in the Western Hemisphere.

Disney Cruise Line's 1,754-passenger Disney Magic was the first vessel to return to the Cayman Islands since March 2020, arriving early Monday for a day visit.

Two more cruise vessels, Carnival Cruise Line's 2,052-passenger Carnival Paradise and 2,984-passenger Carnival Sunrise, are scheduled to call in the Cayman Islands on Wednesday.

Three more vessels operated by Celebrity Cruises, Carnival and Princess Cruises are scheduled to visit the Cayman Islands later in the week.

The six cruise ship calls are part of a four-week "phase 1" trial period for the resumption of cruising in the Cayman Islands during which cruise passenger arrivals will be limited to 40% of previous volumes.

The self-governing British Overseas Territory halted cruise ship arrivals in March 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic was just beginning and has remained closed to cruise ships ever since, unlike most other cruise ports in the region.

Most major Caribbean cruise destinations reopened to cruise ships over the summer of 2021 as cruise lines resumed operations in the Caribbean.

In a tweet on Monday, Cayman Islands governor Martyn Roper called the arrival of Disney Magic on Monday "a major milestone" for cruise tourism to the destination.

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As part of the phase 1 reopening, the Cayman Islands has authorized 21 cruise ship calls over the coming four weeks that will bring about 74,000 cruisers to the destination.

In addition to Disney, Carnival, Celebrity and Princess vessels, the island has authorized ships operated by MSC Cruises and Holland America to visit during the trial period.

As part of this initial phase, the Cayman Islands is prohibiting COVID-19-positive passengers and crew, and their close contacts, from disembarking during calls.

Cruisers also will have to abide by Cayman Islands mask-wearing rules that require everyone over the age of 5 years to wear a face covering or mask if they are indoors in a public place and unable to maintain a distance of 6 feet from every other person.

An expanded "phase 2" for the resumption of cruising will begin after the successful completion of the first phase. Still, it's unclear if cruise arrivals ever will return to pre-COVID-19 levels.

Over the past two years, Cayman Islands officials have signaled the territory was likely to place limits on the number of cruise ships and cruisers that can visit the island destination when cruising resumes — a major policy shift that will have ramifications for more than half a dozen major cruise lines.

In a briefing in early 2021, Cayman Islands premier Alden McLaughlin suggested that residents of the Cayman Islands, including business leaders, had made it clear they want a more balanced approach to tourism.

“I think we have a very clear signal from just about every source that … we can survive without those large numbers [of cruisers] and … we need more balance. We need to not overwhelm the systems that we have by [the] sheer volume of people,” McLaughlin said.

Home to just 65,720 people, the Cayman Islands traditionally has drawn more than 1.8 million cruisers a year who arrive on hundreds of cruise vessels. At times, four or even five large cruise ships will visit in a single day, depositing more than 10,000 cruise tourists in the destination’s capital, George Town.

Only two other Caribbean destinations — the U.S. Virgin Islands and Cozumel, Mexico — have traditionally received more cruisers in a year.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

Featured image by WESTEND61/GETTY IMAGES)
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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  • Solid welcome bonus

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  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
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  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
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  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
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  • Annual Fee is $325.
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