Cayman Islands consider allowing gambling on docked cruise ships

The ships could stay longer, or overnight, once cruise berthing facilities are built. “However, they would want their on–board services to remain open while berthed here,” said Minister of Tourism McKeeva Bush. “Longer stays are bound to result in greater spending here, benefiting downtown and other tourist–heavy concerns.”

Speaking more about the matter this week, Bush told the Caymanian Compass that the cruise lines would want to have their gaming facilities open in Cayman’s waters if they stayed in port longer. “Obviously, the local people would have to weigh in on the issue,” Bush said. “It’s not something I can make up my mind on alone. But I would like to see the cruise ships here longer.”

Backbench MLA Cline Glidden Jr., who is part of the elected government’s port redevelopment team, said that having a cruise berthing facility would change Grand Cayman from a one–tour destination to a two–tour destination. That means cruise passengers would have time to visit more than one attraction if they didn’t have to spend hours getting to and from the ship. If the ships stayed later as well, he said this would only increase the average spending per visiter.

“Right now, cruise passengers are limited as far as time in what they can do,” he said, adding that one of the reasons the Pedro St. James tourist attraction hasn’t been more successful is the limited time cruise passengers have here.

Glidden said studies have shown that up to 30 % of cruise passengers will come ashore after sunset if a cruise ship were berthed. However, he said that leaves 70 % of the passengers still the ship, and the on–board services need to be available for these people or the ships won’t stay in port.

“What the public is going to have to decide is whether it is worth it to them to make concessions to get the ships to stay longer,” he said. “There are some significant benefits for the ships staying here.”