The Cayman Islands Government has approved the cancellation of the Holland America Nieuw Statendam cruise ship that was scheduled to call on Grand Cayman on 28th December 2021.

The decision to cancel the cruise call is in line with the recently implemented policy requiring all travellers to be tested the day prior to their departure to the Cayman Islands. While strict embarkation protocols are in place for passengers prior to boarding the ship, the day prior testing requirement for disembarkation in Grand Cayman unfortunately could not be accommodated. 

The objective of the single cruise call was to stress test the safety protocols and policies that are in place to minimize the spread of COVID-19. The Ministry of Tourism and Transport had worked in collaboration with representatives from the Holland America Line and its parent company Carnival Corporation, to ensure that passenger capacity was reduced to a maximum of 1600 and that Grand Cayman was the first port of call on the ship’s itinerary. Additionally, all passengers and crew disembarking in Grand Cayman had to be fully vaccinated.

Acting Minister for Tourism Hon. Dwayne Seymour stated that “the Cayman Islands Government does not take this decision lightly and the inconvenience to all concerned, including the cruise line, cruise businesses and passengers is regretted. While uncertainties persist regarding the spread of the virus, adopting a cautious approach is the right thing to do. The cancellation of this single cruise ship call will ensure that the Cayman Islands is better able to protect our people and we look forward to welcoming cruise tourism business in 2022 when it is safer to do so.”