Listen, over the weekend I saw a commercial for coral wave. This commercial was world class. There was Fred Ferguson sitting on a wooden porch playing guitar music by the late great Bahamian, Joseph Spence.
Dancers from the local dance school were dancing to the music. They were in 'native' colorful garments. The dancers moved at the tempo of the music which went faster and faster but at a slow pace if you see what I mean. The speed of the music was to demonstrate how fast the new coral wave will be.
That is the kind of commercial potential tourist should see. We have lost it since the 'Its better in The Bahamas' themes. All the other Caribbean nations have really enticing commercials while we look like we don't exist.
The Ministry of Tourism better talk to the directors of that commercial.
Did any of you see it?


Yes! At first I didn't realize that it was a locally produced commercial. It was very professional and top quality. I was very impressed.

Lets do a Pride Festival I understal millions of people attend these events in the big cities.



At the very least it will put some money into the coloured markers and poster board market with the CC buying all those supplies to make protest signs.

*Sunny shakes head at CC*

~~

http://www.jonesbahamas.com/?c=45&a=13096


22nd June

Royal Caribbean Pulls Out

By Darrin Culmer

Maritime and Labour Minister Dion Foulkes assured Thursday that the government will move resolutely to minimize any negative impact from the decision by Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines to re-deploy some of its ships from the Port of Nassau to other competing cruise destinations.

The tourism ministry indicated in a press release that the re-deployment of Royal Caribbean cruise ships is expected to result in a decline of thousands of cruise visitor arrivals annually.

According to the ministry, in 2006 Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas accounted for 1.4 percent of the total cruise passenger count, the Navigator of the Seas, 2.8 percent and the Explorer of the Seas 1.5 percent, amounting to a total of 5.7 percent of the total cruise visitor volume for the year.

Those vessels have since been assigned to new destinations.

"The government has given immediate attention to the concerns of the Caribbean Cruise Ship Association with respect to the matters that have to be done at the dock," Minister Foulkes said.

"We will be having several meetings with all the stakeholders including the cruise ship owners and operators, the operators on Bay Street, the Port Department, and the ministries of tourism and works. Our intention is to address all of the concerns as soon as possible."

The ministry’s press release explained that from as far back as its 2004/2005 fiscal year Royal Caribbean foreshadowed that it would upgrade its fleet to the new Freedom class, which comprises much larger vessels.

At present, Bahamian ports are not able to accommodate those larger ships because they require more inner harbour space to permit safe maneuvering, the ministry said.

"The Ministry is advised that as early as 2004 the cruise line advised the then government of the intended fleet upgrade and corresponding docking requirements," the statement continued.

"However, not only were no changes made to Nassau and Freeport harbours, but further, according to Royal Caribbean, they were given no assurances by the government of the timeframe in which the suggested and necessary infrastructure changes might in fact be made. Royal Caribbean had no choice but to plan alternate destinations for their vessels."

According to the tourism ministry, when Royal Caribbean determined to replace the Voyager of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas and Explorer of the Seas with the Freedom class of vessels it did not include The Bahamas on its itineraries simply because those vessels could not navigate the local harbours.

The government has not yet been able to determine how long it will take to expand the harbours, Minister Foulkes said.

"We haven’t gotten the technical advice on it, but this is a matter that representations had been made to the government about over the last four years and absolutely nothing was done," he said.

"We are the government now and we intend to do something about it."

The tourism ministry indicated that it is addressing the question of improvements to Nassau harbour and expects that once the harbour is expanded to accommodate the larger vessels Nassau will once again be a choice of call for Royal Caribbean.

Notwithstanding the announced re-deployment, the Ministry of Tourism noted that Royal Caribbean has been a fixture in the Bahamian cruise industry for a number of years and is expected to remain a very important contributor to the country’s cruise business for many years to come.

"The Ministry’s dialogue with Royal Caribbean is ongoing and tourism officials have confirmed that seasonal re-deployment of the Cruise Line’s ships among their Caribbean, European and Alaskan destinations is not unusual and in fact is their customary response to shifts in customer demand," the press release said

Lets do a Pride Festival I understal millions of people attend these events in the big cities.

What!! One lil boat with a couple of gays on it bought out all the fire and brimstoners.
Can you imagine what would happen to Bay Street if we have a Pride Festival? Chile, I don't think we ready for dat!!
I saw one in New York a few years ago, I had a ball.

Vernice Walkine was on TV last night looking VERY uncomfortable while having to explain to the Bahamian people that the cruise ship company that is pulling a few of their ships from our port, advised the former government 2 YEARS AGO it was doing so!!

The company, Royal Caribbean (I think) also advised at that time that dredging had to be done for their new mega ship to be able to pull into port.

For whatever reason, Vernice assumes it was other priorities, nothing was done. :jawdroop:

Bump.


Open forum on tourism.

Vernice Walkine was on TV last night looking VERY uncomfortable while having to explain to the Bahamian people that the cruise ship company that is pulling a few of their ships from our port, advised the former government 2 YEARS AGO it was doing so!!
The company, Royal Caribbean (I think) also advised at that time that dredging had to be done for their new mega ship to be able to pull into port.
For whatever reason, Vernice assumes it was other priorities, nothing was done. :jawdroop:

Well Vernice was being diplomatic. She knows quite well that the then government goof big time. Now, we are facing the lost of over 10 million dollars annually to incompetence and indecision. Tourism should be priority, after all it is our bread and butter.

Vernice Walkine was on TV last night looking VERY uncomfortable while having to explain to the Bahamian people that the cruise ship company that is pulling a few of their ships from our port, advised the former government 2 YEARS AGO it was doing so!!
The company, Royal Caribbean (I think) also advised at that time that dredging had to be done for their new mega ship to be able to pull into port.
For whatever reason, Vernice assumes it was other priorities, nothing was done. :jawdroop:


Falk'in shuffler! :realmad:

Falk'in shuffler! :realmad:



I would'nt call her that. Vernice is a career civil servant. She knows full well how petty we Bahamians can be and how we don't forget. She also know that today her boss is an FNM.........tomorrow her boss may by a PLP...not only a PLP...it may be Obie again. She is not biting the hand that fed her. Yes she was being diplomatic. Smart chick that Vernice.

I would'nt call her that. Vernice is a career civil servant. She knows full well how petty we Bahamians can be and how we don't forget. She also know that today her boss is an FNM.........tomorrow her boss may by a PLP...not only a PLP...it may be Obie again. She is not biting the hand that fed her. Yes she was being diplomatic. Smart chick that Vernice.

No, i think chancellor means Perry and company...

No, i think chancellor means Perry and company...



OK then..........falking shufflers. :hammer: :hammer:

Just heard that the tourist are being bombarded by ruffians and drug dealers, prostitutes when they come of the ships in Nassau.

There are also a crapload of folks being vagrants in the area.

Why can't the RBPF conduct a huge sting in that area, down Bay Street and on to Rawson Square? 10 undercover officers for a week?

~~

Just heard that the tourist are being bombarded by ruffians and drug dealers, prostitutes when they come of the ships in Nassau.
There are also a crapload of folks being vagrants in the area.
Why can't the RBPF conduct a huge sting in that area, down Bay Street and on to Rawson Square? 10 undercover officers for a week?
~~


This is not brand new. Apparently we do not have a large enough police force. That is the major thing. We need to build a new prison, as well as bring in more police officers....

I applied to get on the police force, when supposedly they were LOOKING for police officers...this was back in 2000....I had an AA degree, was in fairly decent shape as I was into sports as well as a very calm headed individual....they did not even call me back!
LOL...

Yet I saw men and women, who failed the physical and who had no higher education, something in which they were looking for, got on the force a year afterwards....

Now...could that have been a mis-step?
Maybe...but thank God I did not get on, because I would not be on a path for a better future.
:taped2:

Just heard that the tourist are being bombarded by ruffians and drug dealers, prostitutes when they come of the ships in Nassau.
There are also a crapload of folks being vagrants in the area.
Why can't the RBPF conduct a huge sting in that area, down Bay Street and on to Rawson Square? 10 undercover officers for a week?
~~

Well,the police was busy Damn baby sitting school kids and sitting in air condition office masquerading as social workers, thats why one could not find any cops within a mile of bay streets and the high crime area. The PLP government was an experiment in failure.

We can't spare 10 officers for a week?

Call up a few reserve guys for a week.

We can't spare 10-20 officers for a week-long sting?