Cruise ships have been forced to amend their itineraries to avoid the Bahamas due to Hurricane Joaquin which is threatening to bring gale-force winds and flooding to the islands for the next few days.
And the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism has activated an emergency co-ordinating committee to try to keep tourists on the islands up to date with the storm’s progress.
Around 5,500 tourists are currently in hotels in Nassau and Paradise Island and a further 1,500 are in Grand Bahama. There are a ‘sprinkling’ of other visitors throughout the rest of the islands, said the ministry.
"Fortunately, this is a low season particularly for our Family Islands. A lot of the hotels are closed for this period to do the renovations and the upkeep that they need to do in preparation for the major opening for the winter season and it is a blessing in disguise this time," said director general Joy Jibrilu.
Carnival has altered its Eastern Caribbean itineraries for Pride and Valor, Princess replaced Royal Princess’s call at the line’s private island, and Norwegian has canceled Getaway’s Nassau call this week.
The emergency committee on the island is liaising with the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association, the National Emergency Management Agency, the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association, the Nassau Airport Development Company and Port Authority.
During the storm, team members will conduct task force conference calls to keep key agencies apprised of preparations and developments.
Each Bahamas Tourist Office throughout the islands is equipped with a satellite phone to keep in touch with the command center in New Providence, it said.
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for the Northwest Bahamas, which includes the Abacos, the Berry Islands, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama and New Providence.
A Hurricane Warning is also in effect for parts of the Southeast Bahamas, which includes Acklins, Crooked Island, Long Cay and Mayaguana.
Meanwhile, a Tropical Storm warning is now in effect for the remainder of the Southeast Bahamas, which includes Ragged Island, Inagua and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Heavy rains will continue to cause severe flooding in the Central and South Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands today and tonight.
