Cruise ship season has begun in Tobago with the arrival of the Azamara Journey at the Port of Scarborough on Friday.
The cruise vessel docked at the port at 7:30am, with 700 passengers on board.
A welcoming party gathered at the port, with dancers dressed in various Carnival and Tobago Heritage costumes, swaying to the sounds of drums and the steelpan.
Cruise ship passengers seemed delighted with the welcome as they proceeded on their pre-arranged tours and walks around Scarborough.
THA Secretary of Tourism, Antiquities and Creative Industries, Zorisha Hackett, was on hand to greet some of the passengers. She said a lot of work was done ahead of the cruise ship’s arrival.
“We work collaboratively with the Port Authority, and so we have done some really good work with the schools, trying to upgrade space. We started some upgrades as well just in the welcome area, we expect to complete before the next ship comes in next Saturday.”
Preparations also involved additional training for maxi and taxi drivers and service providers to ensure they are ready for the season, including providing updated information on the island’s geography, culture and history.
“We had robust conversations with the taxi and maxi associations to ensure that transportation is efficient. You know we have had a few challenges in the past, so we don’t want to not learn from the mistakes or challenges of the past, and so we did a lot of preparation, even with our vendors. Customer service has been one of the elements that we focused on as well.”
Marketing Officer at the Division of Tourism, Antiquities and Creative Industries, Trevicia Phillips, said Tobago is expecting over 40 cruise ship calls for the season.
“So 42 vessels scheduled to come into call. We have seven maiden calls, the first being on the 24th of this month, at Charlotteville, the Four Seasons, so we are very excited for that, seeing that we are doing more curated experiences.”
To provide those curated experiences, the Division is working with Trinidad and Tobago Sightseeing Tours. Director of the organisation, Charles Adam Carvalho, said a lot of preparation went into the tours.
“The preparation goes on months and years before the ships even arrive. It starts with communicating with the cruise ships, building out the tour packages, negotiating the contracts for the tours they want to offer to their passengers and then liaising with all the local providers for different tours: the people at Buccoo Reef, Angel Reef, the boat operators, Argyle Waterfall, the Roxborough Co-operative, the rainforest, the different areas that we go to, the Cocoa Estate.”
Secretary Hackett stated that they are hoping the tours and experiences are so impactful that cruise ship passengers are convinced to return to the island.
“What this gives is a taste of the island, more or less, and so the ultimate goal is to ensure that the passengers can be classified as long-stay passengers.”