When Hurricane Frances barreled toward the Bahamas last week, it sent cruise lines in search of other destinations to route their voyages to.
But now, the Bahamas is picking up a little business because of the threat Hurricane Ivan is posing to some parts of the Caribbean.
ﾓWe have been having some requests for additional stop calls because of Hurricane Ivan further south,ﾒ said Captain Anthony Allens, port controller.
Four cruise ships are expected to cruise into the Nassau Harbour Thursday, as downtown businesspersons and some straw vendors try to return to normal.
They depend heavily on the tourist dollar and have been suffering economic setbacks in recent days after cruise ships cancelled their trips here due to Frances.
For instance, last week, Carnival Cruise Lines alone reportedly took more than 11,000 passengers to other destinations as the hurricane approached the Bahamas.
This is a common practice of cruise lines seeking to ensure the safety of passengers.
Those passengers disembarking cruise ships in Nassau Thursday will find drab surroundings in some areas because of last weekﾴs storm.
Captain Allens said authorities expect cruise schedules to return to normal by Monday.
The straw vendors expecting their arrival will be waiting at the makeshift straw and craft market on Bay Street, despite an announcement made by Minister of Trade and Industry Leslie Miller that the facility will be closed for at least another week and a half.
ﾓThe people of the Bahamas are concerned for the straw vendors and the predicament that they now find themselves in,ﾒ he told a group of straw vendors Wednesday. ﾓAs you all can see for yourselves, the canvas is gone. The canvas was taken off, but it was severely damaged.ﾒ
He said a Bahamas-based company will be providing a new canvas as early as next week.
ﾓI suspect that between now and next week Sunday, youﾴll have a new top for the straw market and youﾴll be back in business by Monday after next.ﾒ
As the hurricane approached last week, vendors scrambled to remove their goods from the market, but left a number of loose wooden boxes, crates and tables at the site. As a result, they were tossed around in the wind creating a big mess by the time the storm had passed through.
Meanwhile, forecasters warned Wednesday that the Bahamas is not totally out of the woods as it relates to Hurricane Ivan which caused ﾓincalculable damageﾒ on Grenada.
Ivan, the most powerful storm to hit the Caribbean in 14 years, also damaged homes in Barbados, St. Lucia and St. Vincent. Media reports say that thousands of people were without water, electricity and telephone service just days after Hurricane Frances passed through the region.
Local meteorologist Michael Stubbs told reporters at a briefing of the National Emergency Management Agency Wednesday that officials are concerned about the safety of Bahamian students in Jamaica and Cuba, which were also expected to feel the wrath of Ivan.
He also said, ﾓBahamians are urged not to let down their guards.ﾒ
Royanne Forbes, The Bahama Journal
