Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Sep 01, 2025

Potential travel bubble? BVI discussing return of cruise ships

Potential travel bubble? BVI discussing return of cruise ships

Regional discussions have already commenced between the British Virgin Islands and various cruise liner associations regarding plans for a safe return of the vessels to the territory.

Chief Executive Officer of Tortola Pier Park Limited, Vance Lewis gave that indication during a media conference on Thursday.

Responding to questions from BVI News, Lewis said the BVI, as recent as this week, has been a part of the annual Global Sea Trade Conference that is being held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said, “We’ve been speaking with several cruise lines. We’ve had conversations already with Carnival, with Disney and Norwegian who are our berthing partners, Royal Caribbean, with Vikings … and I have more meetings that we – BVI Ports Authority, Tortola Pier Park and two shipping operators – will be leading the way.”

“In addition to that, conversations have begun regionally as well because BVI is part of a regional task force that has been established by the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association …We’re talking about when cruise dates are reintroduced to the Caribbean [and] how are we going to do it basically,” the Cruise Pier CEO added.

Regional bubbles being considered


Lewis also said that the discussions have included whether the cruise industry will consider establishing a safe ‘travel bubble’ within the region.

“For instance, in Europe, they started doing it in bubbles. And that’s the conversation we’re going to have to find out — basically whether we introduce a bubble scenario here and in the wider region. But we have a seat on the regional task force.”

What are travel bubbles?


Travel bubbles are also referred to as travel bridges or corona corridors, which removes the quarantine period for a select group of travellers from certain countries where the coronavirus has been contained. In this bubble, a set of countries agree to open their borders to each other, while keeping the strict COVID-19 protocols on all countries which are not included within the bubble.

This allows for the free movement of people within the bubble between the agreed countries, and prohibits persons from outside countries from entering within the bubble unless going through all the necessary COVID-19 protocols.

CDC and CLIA ban expired on October 31


CEO Lewis further said another positive sign that the reemergence of cruise vessels within the territory may soon occur is the nearing expiration date of the ban that was set by the Centre for Disease Control and the Cruise Lines International Association.

He said the date which was agreed upon by both entities is October 31.

“They’ve had different guidelines before, but now they have said that is the date that both of us are recognising as the latest date before when cruise ships can leave the USA. That is signalling to us that cruising is going to start very soon because we all want to make sure that when cruising starts it happens safely,” LEwis explained.

Cruise ships with funnels expected for 2021


Lewis also said he expects the return of cruise ships with funnels some time in 2021.

He said the date will all depend on the readiness of the cruise industry, coupled with the BVI’s readiness to accept these vessels at the local ports.

Meanwhile, the CEO also hinted that the territory may welcome its first warm lay-up later this year following Cabinet’s recent approval.

A warm lay-up describes a situation where a cruise ship docks at a port with a reduced number of crew members as well as reduced maintenance of the vessel while its essential machinery and mechanical systems are kept in operation.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
Ukrainian Nationalist Politician Andriy Parubiy Assassinated in Lviv
Corporate America Cuts Middle Management as Bosses Take On Triple the Workload
Parents Sue OpenAI After Teen’s Death, Alleging ChatGPT Encouraged Suicide
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over 'Buy' Label on Digital Streaming Content
Federal Reserve Independence Questioned Amid Trump’s Push to Reshape Central Bank
British Politics Faces Tumultuous Autumn After Summer of Rebellions and Rising Farage Momentum
US Appeals Court Rules Against Most Trump-Era Tariffs
UK Sought Broad Access to Apple Users’ Data, Court Filing Reveals
UK Bank Shares Dive Over Potential Tax on Sector
Germany’s Auto Industry Sheds 51,500 Jobs in First Half of 2025 Amid Deepening Crisis
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Argentine President Javier Milei Evacuated After Stones Thrown During Campaign Event
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Starmer Should Back Away from ECHR, Says Jack Straw
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
Chinese AI Chipmaker Cambricon Posts Record Profit as Beijing Pushes Pivot from Nvidia
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Welcome to The Definition of Insanity: Germany Edition
Just a reminder, this is Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris.
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
×