BASSETERRE, St. Kitts. THERE is no doubt that the increasing allure of cruise vacations must be matched by increasing the allure of our twin islands if we are to remain noteworthy or competitive in this burgeoning branch of the tourism industry.
The standards that have been set by ‘Allure of the Seas’ the largest flagship of the Royal Caribbean fleet are nothing short of awesome and vacationers coming from such a ship and hoping to retain the euphoria produced by this ship will want nothing less from the places on which they alight.
If they cannot get this, then the whole reason for coming ashore would evaporate.
Central to the magic that makes this ship so alluring is the desire to heighten the experiences of its patrons and to provide experiences that are unique and therefore memorable.
Contrary to the mood created by present day economics where people can become disposable while attempts are made to retain or increase the profit margins of their companies, the mood this ship exudes is that people are important and every possible effort is made to take their lives a notch higher – via their surroundings, their diet, their entertainment – everything is done to make an individual feel that s/he is important and life is a journey to be enjoyed and not just endured.
It is inevitable that cruisers will want to compare their experiences on the ship to their experiences on land and with the bar on the ship being set so high, it will have the effect of driving up the standards of the islands hosting these visitors.
Already some cruise lines are either creating their own land experiences or stating the criteria they expect to find if they are to make regular visits.
For instance, cruise lines like the Norwegian line and Carnival line have bought small islands in the Bahamas to which they take their tourists to enjoy the ambience of the beaches in ways they think fitting. Royal Caribbean has bought or assisted in the development of ports in Haiti (Labadee) and Jamaica (Falmouth) and adorned these areas to meet their own standards of enjoyment and to facilitate and heighten experiences.
And while we can agree with Minister Skerritt’s statement in the National Assembly that “visitors need to feel welcomed, and the needs of each guest must be respected individually if they are to give our destination a good report,” there is far too much emphasis on the fact that the visitors’ experience depends on the people whom they meet and not enough on the state of the physical environment they encounter
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He hastened to add: “Our guests do not expect to be harassed or want to experience angry situations, personal abuse, or petty local politics from anyone.”
But these are not the only negatives that might confront a visitor and government also must play a pivotal role, Minister Skerritt.
As one who has recently cruised on a major cruise liner, I know that a visitor coming from a highly organised, squeaky clean environment would be appalled at the accumulation of plastic bags and paraphernalia that can still be found on our beaches especially at Conaree and some parts of Friars Bay; they would be appalled at the weeds that tumble from the walls of our once beautiful cemetery on to the streets; they would be turned off by the absence of proper, clean public toilet facilities in downtown Basseterre.
Our visitors would ask why it would take longer to process a few dozen persons through immigration than it would take to admit thousands through a similar process unto a ship.
In St. Kitts, the time we take pointing fingers at others instead of brainstorming to assess the total picture and creating a holistic heavenly experience is all contributing to our downfall.
This is how our Tourism Week should be spent – finding ways of upping our product and making our island more alluring so that it becomes a “must-see” destination. A simple drive around the island can be made more alluring if we take the time to glamorize our borders with colourful plants and our own indigenous and hardy yellow bell/allamanda shrubs.
The indications are that Cruise Tourism is destined to grow even more as the political and economic stresses of daily life drive people to ‘get away from it all.
What is more heavenly than getting away for a while from telephones, traffic, bills, politics, pollution, bickering, backbiters and all the negatives that often impinge on one’s life, and basking in an environment that caters to your needs and provides you with a home, filled with enjoyment already paid for!
Cruise Tourism is here to stay.
In addition, in these times of skyrocketing air fares, a cruise vacation provides you with the opportunity of experiencing multiple destinations at one price.
“Allure of the Seas” truly lives up to its name. Its attractions are seductive and enticing.
Would that St. Kitts and Nevis could get their act together, put politics behind, put country above self and in this way become the “Allure of the Caribbean”!
