The roughly two hundred and fifty taxi operators at the Bridgetown Port are gearing up for what they say will be a long hard next six months with no cruise ships scheduled to visit Barbados this summer.

Barbados tourism officials have previously indicated that while the cruise prospects for the winter season at year end look bright, the preceding summer will see little to no activity.

Adrian Bayley, President of the Bridgetown Port Taxi Co-op, one of the two taxi organisations operating at the Port, tells Starcom Network News it’s going to be a difficult period.

Mr. Bayley notes that outside of the covid pandemic shutdown of the cruise sector it’s unusual to have a summer without cruise ships docking here.

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Meantime, Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Senator Lisa Cummings, notes that summer hasn’t traditionally been a bumper season for cruise business here in any case; and coming out of the pandemic cruise lines are focusing on their main traditional summer destinations.

But she indicates Barbados should have strong cruise business for winter.

She notes hurricane damage to the port in Puerto Rico, a key hub for Caribbean cruises, is another factor.