The Cayman Islands resumed cruise ship calls this week following a two-year pandemic-driven pause with the March 21 visit of Disney Cruise Line's 1,750-passenger Disney Magic.

The ship's call is the first of 21 visits cruise lines will make to the Caribbean destination through April 17, with vessels from Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Celebrity Cruises, MSC Cruises and Princess Cruises scheduled to call at Grand Cayman, the Cayman Islands' capital, said officials at the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism.

Kenneth V. Bryan, the territory's minister for tourism and transport, joined with other government and tourism officials in welcoming disembarking cruise ship visitors to Grand Cayman.

Bryan said passenger contingents aboard cruise ships sailing in the Cayman Islands will be held to a maximum of 40 percent of previous passenger volumes under the territory's phased reopening plan.

Cruise protocols will be assessed and evaluated to determine if any changes are required, Bryan said. The 14 cruise ships calling at the destination during phase one accommodate a collective maximum guest capacity of 74,208 travelers.

Cruise ships have been absent from the Cayman Islands for the last two years as the island government adopted a measured approach to reopening to visitors following the pandemic outbreak.

Prior to the pandemic, the territory has been among the most-visited Caribbean cruise ports, although a long-running government proposal for a new cruise pier for St. George's harbor was scuttled in 2020. The destination is also key port of call for cruise itineraries sailing from South Florida to ports in the northern and eastern Caribbean, say cruise line sources.

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