By
Richard Humphreys |
Hurricane Melissa, a category five hurricane, hit Jamaica on 28 October 2025. It was a devastating event for the country – Melissa was the strongest recorded hurricane to ever hit the island and led to billions of dollars’ worth of damage, more than 100,000 acres of farmland being destroyed and over half a million people being left without power.
The hurricane also left the tourism industry reeling. In a New York Times article, Jamaica’s minister of tourism estimated the industry lost around $62 million in the first week after the storm.
Much of this tourism comes from cruise calls and, given how important the sector is for the island, both the country and the cruise industry have made monumental efforts to not only help locals in their hour of need, but also welcome ships back as soon as possible.
“We had quite a bit of damage on the north coast, but everybody rose to the challenge,” says Joy Roberts, executive director of Jamaica Vacations. “It was hands and hearts together. One of our major attractions, Dunn’s River Falls, was badly affected but we worked hard and it is back open. We managed to reopen 60 per cent of attractions within one week of the storm.”
MSC Cruises was one of several cruise lines that provided aid to Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa (Photo: MSC Cruises)
Within two weeks, all five cruise ports were back up and running, which was crucial for the country as it entered the winter season, a key period for cruising.
“Cruise benefits so many businesses and people, from hotels and restaurants to taxi drivers and crafters,” says Roberts. “Even though many had damage to their homes, they were able to come out and work and make money.”
A key reason behind the speed of the country’s reopening was the assistance provided by cruise lines. “Within a couple of days, we had ships coming in with relief supplies,” says Roberts. “They brought every single thing we needed. If they were on an itinerary, they would stop by with passengers and drop off the relief supplies.
“Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, MSC Cruises and others came to help. We still have shipments coming in, with generators going to schools that are in the inland areas that have not got any electricity returned yet.”
Roberts feels “blessed” with the amount of support she has seen her country receive, whether it be from planes flying in with supplies, organisations cooking meals or groups dealing with fallen power lines and trees. Despite all the aid and funding received from a catastrophe bond and loans, Jamaica still needs supplies, donations and volunteers to help rebuild hundreds of thousands of homes.
However, there is light at the end of the tunnel for the island. “All our cruise ships have come back, and all our attractions are open,” says Roberts. “We’ve even had at least six inaugural visits and our first homeporting call at Port Royal. So, amidst it all, there is so much hope because new things are happening and we’re grateful to everybody for having faith in us.”
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