The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

Grand Celebration representatives yesterday reiterated that they were “committed to working things out” with the Government, declining to confirm whether any progress had been made in their talks.

David Johnson, a former Ministry of Tourism director-general and now and consultant to Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, did not confirm reports reaching this newspaper that the two sides have resolved their differences.

He told Tribune Business: “At the moment, we really don’t want to comment publicly on the matter any further.

“We are committed to getting things worked out. We’re back to work trying to do what we have to do to try and resume our operations very quickly.”

Negotiations between Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, the cruise operator, and the Government have become mired in controversy after the Grand Celebration operator warned it might have to pull out in the absence of a new agreement with the Ministry of Tourism.

This prompted charges by Tourism Minister, Obie Wilchcombe, that the company was effectively attempting to “blackmail” the Government,

The Grand Celebration’s owner has warned that its restructuring hinges on a new agreement with the Ministry of Tourism, and that a pull-out from Grand Bahama would be a “worst case scenario” that costs the Grand Lucayan 50 per cent of its pre-Matthew business.

Mr Johnson, in a previous interview, said the cruise line’s return to Grand Bahama might be “temporary”, as it was having “some challenges” in talks with the Government.

Mr Wilchcombe, though, hit out at Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line for disclosing to the media that it might pull out of Freeport and the Bahamas if it could not strike a favourable agreement with the Christie administration.

Suggesting that it was using the media to pressure the Government into agreeing what it wanted, Mr Wilchcombe said the Celebration’s operator was offering no guarantees to the Bahamas in return.