After the chaotic start to the cruise ship season in Tobago earlier this month, things went smoothly yesterday when the second major cruise ship, The Jewel of the Seas, docked in Scarborough.
President of the Tobago Maxi Taxi Association, Clyde Williams, who was at the port for the arrival of the vessel, admitted he was still doing damage control but said he was relieved the issues that led to the cancellation of tours on the previous visit of a cruise ship had been resolved.
“We are on the upward move, things are ironing out. This morning was quiet, we only needed about 14 buses and we have them here in excess,” Williams told Guardian Media.
“On Saturday will be a bigger challenge and we are putting things in place for Saturday. It’s a big ship ... we will have more maxis and buses for Saturday, so we do not expect any kind of problems.”
Williams committed to doing all in his power to ensure tour operations take place without any glitches. He said the association facilitated approximately 20 tours yesterday.
Cruise line agent Charles Carvalho, meanwhile, said he was still assessing the impact from the last incident two weeks ago, when there were no maxi taxis to take passengers from the first cruise ship that docked for the season, the Celebrity Silhouette, on tours of the island.
He said while he was pleased that operations went as planned yesterday, he is uneasy about what might happen on Saturday when that cruise ship returns.
“Everything went smoothly. We look at Saturday to see what challenges it brings. I’m still analysing everything so I need another day or two,” he said.