Plans are underway to welcome smaller cruise ships to Speightstown as early as the upcoming cruise season, Member of Parliament for St. Peter, Colin Jordan, has revealed. The initiative aims to revitalise the historic town and boost economic activity.
Speaking at the annual general meeting of the Barbados Labour Party’s St. Peter branch at The Alexandra School, Jordan shared that cruise liners have shown increased interest in exploring the town’s rich heritage.
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“We know the value of Speightstown, not just to St. Peter but to the entire country. Speightstown is, as far as I’m concerned and as far as many people from St. Peter are concerned, really the center of history and heritage in this country,” the MP said.
He added, “Those who operate cruise lines also recognize that and have been asking for some time to be able to come to Speightstown. Obviously, Speightstown will only be able to accommodate these small ships, and so in my most recent discussion, I’ve been told that there may be one ship actually interested in coming to Speightstown this coming cruise season. We were planning for the next cruise season, but I’m told that there may be one small ship interested in making a few calls to Speightstown in the coming cruise season.”
Jordan emphasized the need for proper shore operations to handle incoming vessels, including immigration, customs, and port health services. He suggested that the current fish market could potentially house these services, given its proximity to the jetty.
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“The way our Barbados Labour Party operates, we never put anybody out to do something else, and so when I’m talking about using that facility, it is not to the detriment of any current users of the facility, and those users actually include now the district emergency organization where we hold meetings from time to time,” Jordan declared.
Infrastructure improvements are also being considered to accommodate the ships. Jordan explained, “One of the pieces of infrastructure is actually what they refer to as moorings. Only very small cruise ships—not even cruise vessels—maybe some of the mega yachts—will be able to pull up at the jetty. But those smaller cruise ships with maybe 100 or 150 passengers will not be able to.”
As discussions progress, Jordan plans to engage further with Barbados Port Inc. on the initiative, emphasizing the potential for St. Peter’s economic fortunes and the revitalization of the northern town.
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