Cruise industry and tourism officials are yet to respond to news on Friday that Star Clippers has dropped Antigua from its itinerary.
The announcement, by far, was the biggest blow to the cruise sector since the tragic murder of an American tourist on Windward Bay, a short distance from the popular Pigeon Point beach.
Nina Nilssen, 29, was stabbed in the neck after she wandered off from the rest of the group who had just come ashore from Star Clippers' excursion on the island’s scenic south east coast.
Efforts to reach CEO of the Antigua and Barbuda Cruise Tourism Authority (ABCTA) Colin James for a response have proven futile. Repeated calls to his phone have so far gone unreturned.
When contacted, President of the Antigua and Barbuda Cruise Tourism Association Nathan Dundas declined comment, pointing Caribarena in the direction of James, who was named the point person to respond to any information related to the incident.
According to a report in USA Today, the ship will instead drop anchor in Nevis.
"Star Clippers has called at Antigua for many years without incident, and with its long sailing and yacht history, the island has always been a popular destination with our guests," USA Today quoted a statement from Star Clippers CEO Mikael Krafft as saying.
"We are taking this decision after much deliberation, and we will continue to monitor the security situation in Antigua and evaluate our options for next winter season regarding returning to the island,” the statement continued.
Meantime, Nilssen’s killer remains on the run.
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written by NotMyRealName ...., January 30, 2010
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written by just sayin', January 30, 2010
Apparently because they can't stop electing them, elevating them to folk heroes and (in one case) Knighting them.
The "Each Embezzling, All A 'Thieving" ethos has now reached it's logical conclusion. There's only so long a tiny, no, minuscule, island with the population of a first world village can continue to ignore the standards and expectations of a planet, at least when it has no resources, industry or anything to contribute except for 365 littered beaches and a contempt for the rest of the world.
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written by Roger King, January 30, 2010
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written by Thomas, January 30, 2010
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