Reef "Relocation" Proposal for Georgetown Cruise Ship Pier

[KathyV]

Okay, now it is my turn to ask a stupid question.

Although I hate to see any damage to the natural beauty of the island would it be feasible to build a cruise pier and terminal in a less built up and less populated area, along with a road across the island to Georgetown and the tourist attractions?

I was thinking of the North Side but maybe it is too rough, windy, or doesn't have a good harbor?

---------- Post added June 12th, 2015 at 03:15 PM ----------

At the risk of sounding stupid (which is always a risk for me), why dredge? Why not run a dock out to the deep water?

I think that the wall drops off too close to shore. Someone suggested a floating pier but that doesn't seem to be a good option:
Floating cruise pier idea sinking :: Cayman Compass

 

[diversteve]

It seems to have worked well enough in Cozumel. Why would it not work in GC? What is really going to be lost besides a couple so-so dive sites?

This is one of them. Only in the summer. Even if they were somehow able to move the Grotto, I doubt the silversides would show up to the new location instinctively.

Since the embarkation rate is estimated to be the same according to the first article and the current tenders seem to manage one has to conclude that the advantage to the new dock will be that big flat pad where temporary - maybe semi-permanent - vendors can locate and generate tourist tax revenue. Or maybe the plan is to schedule 6-8 ships in daily instead of 4-5 possible currently - 4 ships moored on the dock frees up a lot of tenders.

[video=vimeo;69518760]https://vimeo.com/69518760[/video]

I was thinking of the North Side but maybe it is too rough, windy, or doesn't have a good harbor?

Might be too shallow. And the rougher weather in winter would be the problem for ships trying to moor and drop passengers. Any sort of permanent structure would have to be more robust to withstand the effects also - the Georgetown idea works because it's a harbor already. Other cruise ports are similar, maybe not in the optimum location but they're often protected water. Freeport comes to mind - it's 4-5 miles to Port Lucaya, the beaches or the casino/market area. When you moor there, there's a fleet of shared cabs waiting.

Although there would be much less dive impact on that side. Optimally extend/enhance the Tibbett's Hwy to move all the traffic into Georgetown fairly quickly. If you think about it, besides the stores downtown, a lot of the cruise traffic ends up in that area anyway at the Turtle Farm, the Stingray City/Sandbar trips, the Dolphin thing, Tortuga Rum Cake factory, Hell etc.

I expect to see a big concrete pier in Georgetown though. Or nothing as has been the case with these proposals in the past. I had to laugh over the concern about mooring the floating pier in deeper water though - they only reliably do that daily with some of the largest structures on the ocean - oil rigs...same hurricanes that batter Cayman continue up into the Gulf of Mexico on a regular basis.

 

[billinwilliamston]

One factor in this that isn't mentioned very often is the "build something, build anything" mentality that holds sway with a large segment of the voting population and, therefore, the CIG. Construction jobs are considered good jobs and if things are being built, more people are working. The high school, the Shetty hospital, the proposed airport expansion and the 10 story monstrosity that Dart is building (the Kimpton Hotel) are examples of places where the CIG has made decisions based in large part on the construction jobs that the projects create. The cruise docks are another instance where creation of jobs in the construction industry is a huge factor in the decision making process.

 

[tkaelin]

Anyone know the current status of this proposal? Has a decision been made?.