The much-anticipated arrival of the Oasis Class cruise ship, the largest cruise ships
afloat today, is slated for January 2, 2024.
The announcement comes from Tourism Minister, the Honourable Charles Max
Fernandez, who said the vessel is on the schedule for next year as Royal Caribbean
stated its intention to sail the vessel into the St. John’s Harbour on that date.
However, according to the tourism minister this would depend on the completion
of the dredging of the St. John’s Harbour to accommodate the vessel.
Both the Government and port authority officials have long since indicated that the
completion of the dredging of the harbour has been delayed by the presence of
volcanic rocks on the seabed that have proven to be particularly difficult to
dislodge.
The company carrying out the dredging has had to bring in bigger equipment to
help them in dislodging and clearing up the ocean floor in order to accommodate
the bigger class of cruise ship.
Royal Caribbean has indicated that it did not want to put its vessel at risk by sailing
it into the harbour until it is satisfied that it has the required depth to accommodate
the Oasis Class vessels.
“We are almost there. I have said so in the past, but that is the information that has
been communicated to me. From what I have seen with the biometrics that they
have showed me, they have pointed out one spot where they now have to clear.
The turning basin has been completed, the channel, most of it has been completed.
It just the entrance that they are concentrating on and they asked us to give them
until the end of October to have everything completed,” he stated.
Fernandez has indicated that Royal Caribbean has also signaled its intention to
proceed with the tourism development at Fort James that would be geared towards
passengers who arrive aboard its vessels in the St. John’s Harbour.
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