Cruise & Ferry Review - Autumn/Winter 2020

2 3 0 CARIBBEAN: INTERV IEW A new industry on the horizon William Tatham tells Elly Yates-Roberts about the Port Authority of Jamaica’s plans for when cruising restarts and some silver linings of the pandemic Port Royal’s single-berth offering could facilitate safe passenger management once cruising resumes T he cruise industry has arguably been one of the most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic,” says William Tatham, vice president of cruise shipping and marina operations at the Port Authority of Jamaica. But Tatham also believes that there will be some important lessons to be learned during this period. “Traditionally in the industry there have been very strong relationships between various parties who work together to better the experience for everyone involved,” he explains. “However, challenges such as crew repatriation have highlighted how communication was lacking.” As the pandemic took effect across the globe, many nations closed their ports to vessels at sea, effectively stranding the passengers and crew onboard until they could safely manage the influx of people. “It turned out to be an unbelievable challenge for cruise lines and ports alike, but there is no right or wrong about how it unfolded – it was simply in reaction to a very difficult situation,” says Tatham. “However, it showed that there is a real disconnect between players in the industry and government agencies. So, there is now an opportunity to bring those together and manage all of this in a more holistic way. When business does restart, I am hopeful that we can use this opportunity to re-engage and strengthen our relationships. “I think what has come out of this is a real recognition of the importance of each other. In the future, it will enable us to prepare for other potential crises by putting the right systems, relationships and tools in place to ensure a fluid level of communication that can help resolve issues.” “I think what has come out of this is a real recognition of the importance of each other” “