Despite the efforts of the public and private sectors on St. Croix, Carnival Cruise Lines won’t be sending the Destiny to Frederiksted on Wednesday.
Gordon Finch, executive director of the V.I. Port Authority, said Monday that Carnival officials visited St. Croix on
Monday and decided to pass up the megaship's scheduled call.
A 20-foot section of the cruise ship dock in Frederiksted was knocked out by high seas and waves caused by Hurricane Lenny last Wednesday. After the damage to the dock was announced, officials from Hovensa said they would help the Port Authority install a temporary fix for the damaged section so
that the Destiny could call.
"The Port Authority has teamed up with Hovensa and we will have a temporary bridge in place by Wednesday that will be more than adequate to support normal cruise ship operations," Finch said.
The push to have the Destiny make its call came from all fronts, because the ship stays in port until midnight. The long port call fuels St. Croix's sputtering economy and is the main reason for Harbor Night, a street fair held in Frederiksted each time the Destiny calls.
Kim Holdridge, Harbor Night director for Dalton Associates, said Hugh Dalton, the Port Authority and Hovensa tried their best to accommodate the Destiny. As of Monday afternoon, however, Dalton Associates was trying to find sponsors for Harbor Night so the event could go on without the ship.
"It would boost some spirits after the storm and generate some money by pulling people out of the hotels," Holdridge said.
A majority of St. Croix businesses were cleaned up and ready to receive the cruise visitors.
John Demo, a St. Croix business owner, said the Destiny's absence would be a blow. "It was a big disappointment for the retailers and all of St. Croix, seeing how we were ready."
The Nordic Empress is scheduled to stop in Frederiksted this Thursday.
Attempts to contact Carnival Cruise were unsuccessful on Monday.