Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Sep 18, 2025

Crew members on cruise ships ‘will not be allowed to disembark’- BVIPA

Crew members on cruise ships ‘will not be allowed to disembark’- BVIPA

Crew members aboard cruise ships in the territory for warm layups will not be allowed to disembark the vessels.

Today, January 11, 2021, Rhapsody of the Seas became the first cruise ship to call to the territory since it had placed a ban on cruise vessels on March 14, 2020, due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

Grandeur of the Seas, also of the Royal Caribbean Group, will arrive in the territory tomorrow, January 12, 2021.

“The BVIPA has agreed on conditions to allow Royal Caribbean International’s Grandeur of the Seas and Rhapsody of the Seas berthing at the BVIPA’s cruise pier under strict health and safety rules starting on 11 January 2021 for an initial period of thirty (30) days for a warm lay-up,” the British Virgin Islands Ports Authority (BVIPA) announced today.

Acting BVIPA Managing Director, Oleanvine Pickering-Maynard noted in a press release that: “This is not a regular cruise call, the vessel does not have any guests on board, and it will be berthing exclusively to lay up, refuel, take on provisions and spare parts, and possibly other services.”


Acting BVIPA Managing Director, Oleanvine Pickering-Maynard said the vessel does not have any guests on board, and it will be berthing exclusively to lay up, refuel, take on provisions and spare parts, and possibly other services.

Crew members not allowed to disembark


Maynard further commented that: “Crew members will not be allowed to disembark and there is no access to vessels from shore-based staff during stays in the BVI.”

She said the BVIPA’s cruise pier is a secure zone and persons are not permitted to pass the security gate area which will be manned.

Additionally, health and safety protocols were also shared with the ship’s agents and cruise line.

‘Grateful to VI Gov’t’- Romasco Group


Patricia M. Romney, Director of Operations for Romasco Group, welcomed the move by Government to allow technical calls and warm lay-ups by cruise ships in the territory.

“As Agents for Royal Caribbean, we are indeed pleased to have two of its vessels calling in Tortola. We are grateful to the Virgin Islands Government for creating a path to assist our cruise partners during these critical times.”

In a detailed presentation to the BVIPA, Royal Caribbean Group explained their hybrid connection plans and other details pertaining to the warm lay-up procedures.


Crew members aboard cruise ships in the Virgin Islands for warm layups will not be allowed off the ships.

Royal Caribbean looks forward to resuming regular cruise visits


Hernan Zini, the Vice President of Worldwide Operations for Royal Caribbean Group said, “Royal Caribbean Group is grateful and fortunate to have the government and people of the British Virgin Islands welcome our vessels during the pandemic for lay-up so that critical services can be provided. As we face this challenging time together, our first priority is the health and safety of the communities we visit and our crew members. We all look forward to the day when we can resume sailing and return with our guests to visit the beautiful destination and warm people of the BVI.”

The economic benefits of extending technical calls or warm lay-ups include ships carrying out refueling, repairs and start-up activities in the territory before they set sail again. The BVIPA believes that maintaining a link with and continuing to service the cruising industry in the safe manner proposed with technical calls/warm lay-ups can be a vital part of the rebooting strategy.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Trump: Cancel quarterly company reports and settle for reporting once every six months
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
US Launches New Pilot Program to Accelerate eVTOL Air Taxi Deployment
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Hong Kong Industry Group Calls for HK$20 Billion Support Fund to Ease Property Market Stress
Joe Biden’s Post-Presidency Speaking Fees Face Weak Demand amid Corporate Reluctance
Charlie Kirk's murder will break the left's hateful cancel tactics
Kash Patel erupts at ‘buffoon’ Sen. Adam Schiff over Russiagate: ‘You are the biggest fraud’
Homeland Security says Emmy speech ‘fanning the flames of hatred’ after Einbinder’s ‘F— ICE’ remark
Charlie Kirk’s Alleged Assassin Tyler Robinson Faces Death Penalty as Charges Formally Announced
Actor, director, environmentalist Robert Redford dies at 89
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
JD Vance Says There Is “No Unity” with Those Who Celebrate Charlie Kirk’s Killing, and he is right!
Trump sues the 'New York Times' for an astronomical sum of 15 billion dollars
Florida Hospital Welcomes Its Largest-Ever Baby: Annan, Nearly Fourteen Pounds at Birth
U.S. and Britain Poised to Finalize Over $10 Billion in High-Tech, Nuclear and Defense Deals During Trump State Visit
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal, Deepens Trade Tensions with US
US Air Force Begins Modifications on Qatar-Donated Jet Amid Plans to Use It as Air Force One
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
×