Global cruises are still on hold because of the ongoing covid-19 pandemic and many people are wondering when the cruise ships will return, particularly here in the Bahamas.
This as concerns over fresh outbreaks of covid prompted the centers for disease control to extend a ‘no sail order’ until September of last year.
However, some cruise operators have taken it a step further and cancelled cruises until December of this year.
Tourism Minister, the Hon. Dionisio D’Aguilar spoke about the anticipated return of cruises to the Bahamas.
“We are pushing as much as we can in order to get the United States to at least consider a waver for the Caribbean in general, the English-speaking Caribbean.
“We have very small populations; we have very low levels of covid and we are extremely tourism dependent.
“We are asking them to consider us as a special grouping of countries that is in their sphere of influence that represents very little risk to them.
“So, we want them to consider the Caribbean as a special case” he said”
Minister D’Aguilar also provided an update on the new requirement for travelers entering the United States.
“I don’t know whether it’s going to yield any results, but we need to push.
“However, if that fails as I’ve said, our plan B is to utilize our network of clinics and private healthcare providers to provide the required rapid antigen test to re-enter the United States.
“As you know as a 26 of January United States is going to require all persons entering the United States to have either a PCR or rapid antigen test” he said.
