Carnival Cruise Line made its first official call to Ocho Rios on Wednesday as Carnival Sunrise arrived in port, marking the resumption of cruise visits to Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa.
Local officials and community partners greeted the ship as operations continued to stabilize across the north coast — with cruise guests officially returning to the island in the wake of the storm.
During a brief ceremony on the pier, Carnival Sunrise Captain Martino Pellegrini presented a commemorative ship model to Ocho Rios Mayor Michael Belnavis and Professor Gordon Shirley, President and CEO of the Port Authority of Jamaica.
Professor Shirley delivered remarks welcoming guests back to Ocho Rios and presented Captain Pellegrini with a piece of local artwork in recognition of the cruise line’s longstanding relationship with Jamaica.
The visit follows several days of coordinated support from Carnival.
Last week, Carnival Horizon delivered relief supplies to Ocho Rios, and Carnival Corporation, along with the Miami HEAT and the Micky and Madeleine Arison Family Foundation, donated one million dollars to Direct Relief to assist with recovery across affected communities.
Carnival’s call to Ocho Rios marks the first major cruise call to return to the port since the storm and signals the beginning of a phased restoration of regular traffic to the area.
Caribbean Journal Staff
2025-11-13 17:09:00