left a third of the city underwater. To ensure it remains protected, National Museum Jamaica and the Port Authority of Jamaica formed a relationship and worked together when re-establishing Port Royal as a new cruise destination. The Port Authority of Jamaica has already implemented the western hemisphere’s first Seawalk system, which is also used in the fjords of Norway and Sweden. The dock floats out to meet the ship. Meanwhile, says Greenland, the museum’s role is to show visitors what Port Royal was like throughout its history. “Port Royal has this epic history and we’re working with the port authority to showcase that,” he explains. “There are some long-standing historical structures, like Fort Charles, which is one of the few fortresses that didn’t fall down in the earthquake. There are also the remains of a Victorian battery, St Peter’s Church, Lime Street, a women’s jail, the remains of a torpedo boat slipway that has an interesting role in naval history, and the old naval hospital, which is a fascinating one-of-a-kind iron-framed building.” Greenland values Port Royal’s archaeological history greatly. “We’ve always fought to protect it,” he says. “The solution that the port authority devised works for us as there’s no permanent structure there – ships essentially dock where they used to in the old days anyway. The port authority is very cognisant of the fact that Port Royal has this really interesting history and it’s crucial to maintain it.” Soon, a museum will be built on the Old Coal Wharf, tracing the port’s history from the Spanish Empire and age of piracy to the earthquake of 1692 and life thereafter. Greenland was recently at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London, going through archives documenting the port and dockyard’s past to find information he can incorporate into the museum. “We’ve developed a walking tour with a book that visitors can use to guide them through the historic structures and spaces within Port Royal,” says Greenland. “It will also be virtual too. We are working with the ‘Port Royalists’ [local people], encouraging them to lead walking tours and share their community’s history. We’re very mindful of ensuring the local population get something out of this development because it’s vital we protect their heritage and culture. Port Royal is not your typical cruise destination.” CFR Cruise ships can now dock at Port Royal to enable guests to take in the town’s history, including remains of the old Naval Hospital 2 1 4 CARIBBEAN: INTERV IEW
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