Marella Discovery 2 Makes Second Call To Port Royal

The Marella Discovery 2 cruise ship made its second call to Port Royal on Monday (February 24), carrying some 1,800 visitors to Kingston.

The cruise ship created history on January 20, when it was the first to dock at the newly opened cruise port constructed by the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ).

The passengers, on disembarking, were welcomed with cultural performances, after which they toured the historic town, including Fort Charles, and purchased traditional food items from vendors.

Others were taken by bus to various sites throughout Kingston.

Canadian Donna Colpitts, who was vacationing with family and friends, told JIS News that the group was enjoying the visit to Jamaica’s capital city.

“It’s been great. We are loving every minute of it,” she said.

Mary Wilson said she is excited to be among the early visitors to Port Royal.

“We understand that this is a new port, and we learnt that the cruise ship we are on was the first to come here. We are very excited that it gives employment to Jamaicans, so we are happy to be here,” she told JIS News.

Another passenger, Stanley Wilson said that “Jamaica has given us the best welcome we’ve had since we started the cruise. This is amazing. I love it. I love the group that was playing, and the music and facilities here are beautiful”.

He is encouraging other cruise passengers to “come to Jamaica; come to Port Royal. It’s great. It’s beautiful. You won’t be disappointed”.

Joyce McClelland, for her part, said she is in love with the island. “It’s great. It’s wonderful. It’s so much better than what I ever thought Jamaica would be like. It’s beautiful. We’ve had a wonderful time,” she noted.

Construction of the cruise port is part of a programme to transform Port Royal into a thriving centre for tourism, and includes revitalisation of Fort Charles, building of a museum, among other works.

There will also be improvements in the housing stock, water system, roadways and drainage network.

SOURCE: JIS