First Cruise Ship Signals Tourism Recovery in Jamaica
Montego Bay Welcomes First Cruise Ship Since Passage of Melissa
Montego Bay, Jamaica – Jamaica’s tourism Mecca, Montego Bay, has signalled its readiness for the phased resumption of tourism activities following Hurricane Melissa. This is marked with the homeporting of TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 1 vessel carrying 2,894 passengers.
Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett underscored the importance of the ship’s arrival, noting that “this is the first cruise ship to visit Montego Bay, post hurricane. So, the arrival of the Mein Schiff 1 marks the resumption of cruise shipping activities in the resort area and proves that the cruise sub-sector is rebounding strongly.”
He noted that “since the passage of hurricane Melissa Jamaica has welcomed some 32,000 cruise visitors and by the end of November, 2025 we will record approximately 64,000 cruise visitors, during the recovery period. This will contribute to the economic recovery of our country and will also benefit our tourism workers.”
Mr. Ian Dear is the Chairman of the Tourism Product Development Company Limited (TPDCo). He is also a member of the Tourism Recovery Task Force. Recently, he welcomed Captain Georgios Dimou and his crew of 1,000. They arrived on a German cruise ship.
It has been just four weeks since Hurricane Melissa affected cruise and stopover visitors. Mr. Dear praised public and private partners for their teamwork. They are working hard to restore the island’s top resort destination. According to Montego Bay’s Mayor, Councillor Richard Vernon, the area relies on tourism for 50 percent of its economy.
– Port Manager Roshaun Cochrane
– Ian Dear, Chairman of the Tourism Product Development Company Limited
– Mark Hylton, Vice President of Cruise Management at the Port Authority of Jamaica
Recovery Task Force
The Task Force wants to help Jamaica’s tourism sector recover. Mr. Dear mentioned that they have started clean-up crews in the resort areas. Their goal is to tidy up these locations.
He also revealed that working with the St. James Municipal Corporation, a mass clean-up initiative was undertaken ahead of the arrival of the first post hurricane cruise ship. He noted that “there’s still more to be done but the work continues and we’re very happy to see this cruise ship in Montego Bay.”
For his part, Mayor Vernon also welcomed the Mein Shiff 1 “which speaks to our efforts here in Montego Bay. It also speaks to the fact that the ships would not come unless we’re ready.” Welcoming both incoming and outgoing visitors on the ship, “aligns with what we’re trying to achieve now as a city.
We are pivoting from care packages to economic stability, because we need to get our people back to work. The visitors are providing this for a range of workers,” he added.
First Cruise Ship Since Hurricane Melissa
Meanwhile, Captain Dimou said being the first cruise ship to return to Montego Bay in the wake of the hurricane was very significant to him and his crew.
“It’s human nature that we want to assist. Being the first one means it’s going to be difficult because you have to anticipate what might go on. But everything works fine,” he expressed.
In helping with Montego Bay’s recovery, the Mein Schiff 1 also donated 12 pallets of relief items. These included bottled water, food products, and educational material for children.
Also at the Montego Bay Cruise Terminal were Mark Hylton, Vice President of Cruise Port Management. John Byles, Chairman of the Tourism Recovery Task Force, was also present. Joy Roberts, Executive Director of Jamaica Vacations (JAMVAC), and Port Manager Roshaun Cochrane were there too.
