QM2 pays visit to Port SVG

Given the warmth and hospitality extended to passengers of the Queen Mary 2 by Vincentians when they visited this country on December 28, Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has expressed the hope of having the famous cruiseship, dubbed the largest in the world visit us again.

“We’re very happy you’re here. Hope you’ll come back,” Dr. Gonsalves told Commodore Ron Warrick, Master of the Queen Mary 2.{{more}}

At the plaque exchange ceremony and luncheon aboard the cruise ship, which commemorated the inaugural visit of the Queen Mary 2 to Port Kingstown, Commodore Warrick expressed thanks for the warm welcome the ship’s passengers and crew received. He noted it is always great to visit a port for the first time.

“It’s good for us to come here today to make new friends in a Caribbean island,” said Commodore Warrick. He added it was nice to see St.Vincent and the Grenadines responding to the growth of the cruise industry.

“The cruise industry’s never ever gonna go away. If you want passengers build the ports and rest assured we’ll be there. It’s the biggest ship ever to come to St.Vincent and the Grenadines and it will be a while before you ever get a bigger one,” Commodore Warrick exclaimed.

Rene Baptiste, former Minister of Tourism, witnessing the ceremony, said she was very concerned following the 911 bombing of the World Trade Centre, just a few months after she had assumed office as the Minister of Tourism.

Baptiste said she set about cultivating and building relationships with the people of the cruise ship industry, especially the cruise executives since they are the decision-makers.

She said St.Vincent and the Grenadines has to be continuously extremely aggressive in its marketing campaign, conduct training, identify the issues confronting the industry, develop the national parks and keep intact the security issues.