By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The Chamber of Commerce’s chairman yesterday said Royal Caribbean’s decision to home port in Nassau “is our chance to shine” and become the region’s top destination “by choice” post-COVID.

Khrystle Rutherford-Ferguson, pictured, subsequently told Tribune Business that the cruise line’s decision to base its Adventure of the Seas vessel in Nassau for a six-month deployment featuring seven-day cruises “brings so much with it for the local business eco-system”.

She added that it provided Bahamian companies, “in desperate need” of an economic boost following the losses inflicted by 13 months of COVID-19, with an opportunity to claw back some of that lost ground by winning contracts to supply goods and services to Royal Caribbean’s guests or offer excursions/tours to its passengers.

“It’s really important to be perfectly frank with you,” Mrs Rutherford-Ferguson said of the cruise line’s home port move. “Everybody is looking for opportunities to try and replace lost revenues they would have suffered over the last 13 months. 

“It is a difficult time for the business community, and the business community is constantly looking for innovative ways to replace that lost revenue. This opportunity does provide a glimmer of hope and allows local businesses to provide goods and services for the home porting experience.

“It is very timely, and we hoping there are more and more opportunities that allow for local business participation. The private sector should continue to ready itself for these opportunities and more opportunities to come.”

Mrs Rutherford-Ferguson acknowledged that The Bahamas was “in desperate need of a rebound for our economy”, and voiced hope that shore excursion providers, historical sites and restaurants will all benefit from the influx of Royal Caribbean passengers from June 12.

During the earlier webinar on the opportunities Royal Caribbean is making available to local businesses, she said: “This is our chance to shine and not only make Nassau the number one in [passenger] volume but number one in terms of choice.”

Dr Kenneth Romer, the Ministry of Tourism & Aviation’s executive director of product quality and support, added: “For months we have discussed the return of cruise tourism as the tipping point in our economic recovery. We now tip the scales in our favour for the first time in 14 months.

“In our Bahamian terminology, I say the ‘bus is coming’ or ‘the jitney reach’. It’s our turn to jump on, hold on tight and run with this opportunity.” Russell Benford, Royal Caribbean’s vice-president of government relations for the Americas, echoed Mrs Rutherford-Ferguson in calling for The Bahamas to exploit the home porting opportunity to improve Nassau’s tourism product.

“Our relationship with Nassau gives us the opportunity to plan together and think creatively about new experiences for guests, and for Nassau to become the top-ranked and most sought-after destination in the Caribbean,” he added.

Mr Benford, though, did not commit to Royal Caribbean extending its Nassau home porting beyond the initial six months when asked by webinar attendees. Indicating that the move was designed to relaunch cruising in the Americas post-COVID, he instead voiced hope that US health regulators will allow the industry to resume sailing from Florida by summer or later in 2021.

However, Elisa Shen, Royal Caribbean’s vice-president of onboard revenue and gaming, conceded that there were concerns among Bahamian small and medium-sized enterprises that the cruise line sets the threshold too high in terms of its requirements for companies to do business with it.

In particular, Royal Caribbean requires tour providers to obtain $2m in general liability insurance. Ms Shen urged all parties to come up with “a better way to do business”, and the Small Business Development Centre has worked with Tristar Insurance Agents & Brokers to create a group policy “for more affordable liability insurance”.