Garwin Davis, Gleaner Writer

A view of the Ken Wright Pier, at the Port Antonio Marina, in Portland. - File

Senior vice-president of operations at Carnival Cruise Lines, Brendon Corri-gan, warned six years ago that the Jamaican government would do better to upgrade existing port facilities as opposed to building a state-of-the-art marina, in Port Antonio, Portland.

Now, six years later and with the Port Antonio marina failing to live up to expectations, there are many persons within the cruise industry who are wondering whether Mr. Corrigan's words should not have been heeded.

"I have read somewhere where millions are being spent to build a new marina in Port Antonio," Mr. Corrigan had said. "I believe this money would be better spent upgrading your existing facilities so you can get more cruise ships."

He was speaking in 2000 at the inaugural visit of the Carnival megaliner, the Imagination, in Montego Bay.

Many, including a contingent from Port Antonio, were taken aback by Mr. Corrigan's comments and a hush fell over the room.

A slightly stunned William Tatham, general manager for cruise shipping at the Port Authority of Jamaica, responded: "Brendon, in time we are going to make you eat those words."

However, Mr. Corrigan was in no mood to relent and unflinch-ingly stood his ground.

"Life is full of great men with brilliant ideas. Good luck, my friend," he retorted.

Fix existing facilities

Asked later by The Gleaner to expand on his comments he added: "I just thought that it would make better business sense to put those millions into fixing your existing facilities in Ocho Rios or Montego Bay, so you can compete better with the other islands."

Pressed on whether Carnival had any plan to make calls in Port Antonio, Mr. Corrigan said the cruise line had no such thing on its agenda.

"Whichever way you want to look at it, the Port Antonio investment was a bad move for the country," said Mark Turner, Ocho Rios businessman. "Just imagine if we had spent that money on pier expansion in either Montego Bay or Ocho Rios, we would now be getting eight or 10 ships per day. All the problems we are now experiencing with harassment would be solved as there would be so many visitors walking the streets."

Today, resulting from the lack of berthing space, Jamaica has fallen way behind its island competitors in terms of cruise ship arrivals. Cayman, St. Maarten and Nassau boast an average of nine ships per day as opposed to two for Jamaica.

Ill-advised move

President of the Ocho Rios Cruise Shipping Council and Brown's Town businessman, Michael Belnavis, said the marina in Port Antonio can now best be described as a 'white elephant'.

"It was an ill-advised move," he said.

However, Judi Schoenbein, vice-president of the Association of Jamaica Attractions, thinks the Port Antonio investment will bear fruit, adding that the Port Authority will eventually be vindicated.

"There are plans in place that will be very good for Port Antonio," she said. "Mr. Tatham has done some good marketing for the area."