Set 90 miles from the Cayman Islands’ tourism hub in Grand Cayman, a brand new cruise vacation spot might quickly be rising within the Caribbean.
The Cayman Islands is planning to develop a cruise pier on the island of Cayman Brac, Caribbean Journal has realized.
Cayman Brac is a small, quiet, eco-centric vacation spot with only a handful of boutique motels, some nice seashores, world-class diving and a rising journey providing.
The plan, Cayman Islands Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan informed Caribbean Journal, is to make Cayman Brac a boutique, small-ship vacation spot, one which preserve’s the island’s relaxed id and fulfills a precedence of “high quality, not amount.”
That will imply a most of round three to 4 ships every week, with ships no higher than 2,500 in capability and an emphasis on luxurious, small-ship traces, Bryan informed Caribbean Journal in the course of the Seatrade Cruise World convention in Miami Seashore.
“The mannequin isn’t going to be the standard mannequin the place you may have large ships coming in, even with a pier,” he mentioned. “We wish to maintain it extra towards small ships. That approach we don’t have an abundance of individuals touring over to disrupt the flavour and stream of issues.”
In different phrases, extra St Barth than San Juan.
“We’re planning to both construct it ourselves or accomplice with an area enterprise proprietor who’s constructing an inland marine harbor known as Port Zeus.”
Bryan mentioned it started as a conceptual concept, and the federal government gauged curiosity from cruise traces to ensure it match what they needed.
The plan is for a pier in 2026, and discussions have already begun with the cruise traces.
A serious precedence, Bryan mentioned, is to ensure the vacation spot can construct up numbers “the place it’s snug.”
That’s essential for a sleepier, laid-back island the place you might be on the street and never see a automobile for quarter-hour.
“That’s a gorgeous high quality for some vacationers, and we predict that we are able to share that with them and provide up a extra white-glove method,” he mentioned.
Cayman Brac can be a singular vacation spot.
“Not each cruise line goes to have the ability to get this selection as a result of we wish to maintain it small,” he mentioned. “We’re doubling down on the standard over amount idea.”
That matches the pattern in cruising at giant, the place an increasing number of manufacturers are boutique ships, together with new launches just like the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Assortment and 4 Seasons’ Yachts. Whereas these are on the smaller finish of the spectrum, it’s seemingly the brand new Cayman Brac port can be the right port of name for traces like Regent, Windstar and Seabourn, to call just a few.
