By Devon Evans, Gleaner WriterOCHO RIOS, St. Ann:
THE POOR state of the former Reynold's Bauxite Pier in Ocho Rios which is being used regularly as a berth for cruise ships has come in for sharp criticism from a top cruise ship official.
Captain of the cruise ship, Norwegian Sun, Constantinos Fafalios described the pier as a most unwelcome site for cruise passengers who disembark there.
The pier which has been renamed the James Bond Pier is one of two being used for the docking of cruise ships in Ocho Rios.
DISAPPOINTMENT
The Norwegian Sun brought in over 2,400 visitors to Ocho Rios and will continue to call up to April next year. Some of the visitors who went on a walking tour of the area also voiced their disappointment with the state of the facility at the pier.
Included among their dislikes were the trash and garbage seen along the sidewalk that leads to the shopping centre in the town and the overgrown road verges that they said made the place unattractive.
Captain Fafalios remarked that it was not appropriate for a dirty and unattractive cargo pier to be used as a cruise ship facility.
POTENTIAL TO ATTRACT
MANY VISITORS
He said that Jamaica need to improve the state of its cruise ship facilities because the country has the potential to attract a lot more cruise ships to its shores.
The captain pointed out that Cozumel in Mexico has up to 17 cruise ships in port in one day and that Cozumel has nothing to compare to Jamaica in terms of attraction.
"But the people there know how to treat the tourists. Can you imagine Jamaica getting 17 ships in a day," he said.
Meanwhile vice-president of cruise-shipping and marina operation at the Port Authority of Jamaica, William Tatham who was in Ocho Rios to welcome the ship, admitted that the James Bond Pier was unattractive.
Mr. Tatham said that for some time the Port Authority has been trying to acquire the pier in order to improve it, but has not been able to do so.
The pier is owned by Jamaica Bauxite Mining Limited and still operates as a regular cargo pier.
