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Port Antonio , June 20, 2006

Patrice Wymore Flynn (right) widow of Errol Flynn, joins Rosalie Donaldson, Senior VP, International Marketing, and William Tatham, Vice President, Cruise and Marina Operations, Port Authority of Jamaica at the Errol Flynn Marina.

Errol Flynn's love affair with Port Antonio began in the 1940s while he was on a sailing trip destined for the Galapagos. Back then, a storm blew his boat the Zaca off course to Jamaica and soon he discovered the island's northeast treasure. Port Antonio became Flynn's home for many years and as he wrote in his memoir, "After thirty-seven years of wandering I had found my Grecian isle."

Now, the Marina at Port Antonio has been renamed the Errol Flynn Marina, in tribute to the town's most famous resident. "It's amazing that even today Flynn's presence remains an undercurrent in Port Antonio," said William Tatham, Vice President of Cruise and Marina Operations. "The renaming of the Marina is merely an affirmation of what residents and visitors have known for a long time, and that his mystique is still very much a part of the fabric of this part of Jamaica."

After his initial visit to the island, Flynn would return to Port Antonio and his 2000-acre Errol Flynn Estate on hiatus between films. While here he would go rafting on the Rio Grande, on shopping trips to the Port Antonio marketplace, picnicking at the nearby Navy Island, and swimming at Boston Beach. For a time he was the proprietor of the Titchfield Hotel, then Port Antonio's grandest hotel. Flynn's mother and father would also join him in Jamaica.

"This endearing tribute to Errol is perfect in so many ways; he loved the sea, and he adored Port Antonio, so this is a wonderful union of his passions" said Flynn's widow Patrice Wymore Flynn, who continues to live at the Estate.

The Errol Flynn Marina is a 32-slip yacht complex that accommodates vessels up to 350 LOA with a maximum depth of 17 feet. It also boasts single and three-phase power and shore storage and is an official Port of Entry with 24-hour Customs and Immigration. Boat repairs and maintenance are available at the full-service boat yard, which features a 100-ton boatlift, the only one of its kind in the Western Caribbean.

Port Antonio provides the ideal point from which to explore a variety of ports-of-call around Jamaica. It's the closest point in the Caribbean to Cuba with Santiago just 90 miles to the north and it is the northern crossroads for vessels sailing through the Bahamas, down the Windward Passage and en route to Las Jardines de la Reina, the Yucatan, Cayman Islands and the Gulf of Mexico.

Ocho Rios, June 19, 2006

The Crown Princess, the newest cruise ship in the Princess Cruise fleet, made its first visit to Ocho Rios on Sunday, June 18 as part of the ship's inaugural Caribbean cruise. "The selection of Ocho Rios as part of the Crown Princess itinerary speaks volumes of the reputation we have as a premier cruise destination. We welcome the opportunity to host the Crown Princess, and we will continue to work with our industry partners to ensure that cruise passengers have an exceptional experience in Ocho Rios." said William Tatham, Vice President of Cruise Shipping and Marina Operations, Port Authority of Jamaica.

The inaugural 2006 summer season for Crown Princess features nine-day roundtrip voyages to both the Eastern and Western Caribbean. The 113,000 tonne vessel can accommodate over 3,000 passengers.

Passengers are expected to participate in a range of excursions in Ocho Rios and its environs, including the world-famous Dunn’s River Falls, Dolphin Cove, which offers dolphin encounters, and Chukka Caribbean Adventures. Shopping excursions to duty free shops and the craft market are also available to passengers.

Located on Jamaica's northern coast, Ocho Rios has been a favourite destination for cruise ships passengers for years. Just last year, travel industry professionals in more than 200 countries named Jamaica the Caribbean's leading cruise ship destination in the World Travel Awards.

Montego Bay, June 09, 2006

Grammy Award-winner Shaggy treated Freedom of the Seas passengers to a command performance when the ship made is maiden call to Montego Bay recently.

At 160,000 GRT and hosting 3,634 guests double occupancy, Freedom of the Seas is the largest cruise ship in the world, and its first ever call to Montego Bay brought on a world-class celebration. A command performance by Grammy Award winner Shaggy, as well as complimentary Jablum Blue Mountain Coffee and Appleton Rum, were some of the treats served up to passenger dockside. "A big ship deserves an even bigger welcome, and everyone in the cruise community is thrilled that Montego Bay is part of the Freedom of the Seas itinerary," said William Tatham, Vice President Cruise and Marina Shipping at the Port Authority of Jamaica. "Most of the enterprises involved in the industry came on the port today, to signal support for the ship and also to give passengers a little taste of Jamaica."

Among the premium tourism and leisure brands welcoming passengers were Margaretville Caribbean, Chukka Caribbean Adventures, Green Grotto Caves, Dunn's River Falls and Red Stripe. Craft merchants also got into the act with a souvenir bazaar.

Craig Milan, Royal Caribbean International's Senior Vice President of Land Operations said that the cruise line, passengers and crew were all happy with the day's activities. "From the ship's entry into port to the sound of Bob Marley's "One Love," to performance by Shaggy, and the warmth shown by everyone who came to welcome us, it was an incredible day, well beyond our expectations."

Jamaica's Minister of Transport the Hon Robert Pickersgill, along with the Hon Wykeham McNeil, State Minister for Tourism welcomed the ship in an onboard ceremony. Several local guests also toured the ship which is more than 1000 feet long and 185 feet wide. Montego Bay is the only Caribbean port where the Freedom of the Seas can dock directly alongside.

"The Freedom of the Seas is an important fillip for the cruise industry," said Marilyn Burrows, President of the Association of Jamaican Attractions. "With our range of adventures and attractions, cruise passengers can disembark and go straight to an experience in a relatively short time, and it's also quite easy for us to accommodate the number of passengers aboard the Freedom."

Freedom of the Seas will make weekly calls to Montego Bay throughout 2006, and in 2007 will be joined by the 3,500-guest Liberty of the Seas, in alternate weekly calls to Montego Bay and Ocho Rios.

Up to April 2006, there were 242 cruise ship calls to Jamaica with 505,380 passengers, an eight percent increase over last year.

Port Antonio, June 08, 2006

(L-R) William Tatham; Vice President of Cruise Shipping and Marina Operations; Port Authority of Jamaica, David Shields, Deputy Director; Jamaica Tourist Board and Colin de Mowbray of Clipper Ventures discuss plans for the Clipper 05-06 race. The ten-yacht race is the longest in the world covering some 34,000 miles.

Port Antonio will host the world's longest race this summer when the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race visits the Port Antonio Marina on June 18. The arrival of ten Dubois 68 yachts in ten days will make the town a hub of activity as crew members changeover, meet and entertain their families or stay for vacation.

"The Port Authority of Jamaica is delighted to welcome the Clipper Race to our Marina for the first time," William Tatham, Vice President of Cruise Shipping and Marina Operations, Port Authority of Jamaica said. "The yachts stopover in Port Antonio will immediately follow the Panama leg of the race."

The leg from Panama to Jamaica will cover approximately 590 nautical miles while the total distance covered by the race will be more than 34,000 miles-the longest distance covered in any single race in the world.

"The Round the World race stops at the North Cove Marina in New York and the Keppel Bay Marina in Singapore," Tatham said. "The Marina at Port Antonio is pleased to be included among this high calibre of marinas."

Each of the ten yachts is named after a city or region and has a capacity for 20 people but will race with 17 crew members and one professional skipper.

"We are very excited at the prospects of the yachts' visit," David Shields, Deputy Director, Jamaica Tourist Board said. "The crews will be docked at the Marina for six days and will bring a great deal of attention to the Northeast Coast of the island."

The Marina at Port Antonio opened in 2002, boasts a 32-slip mega yacht dock and is the only Marina in the Northern Caribbean with a 100 tonne marine travel lift. The Marina's port of entry has 24-hour security and customs and immigration services.

The Clipper 05-06, is the fifth race conducted by Clipper Ventures. The ten month long race makes stops in New York, New Jersey, Durban, Liverpool, Cascias, Salvador, Freemantle, Singapore, Qingdao, Victoria, Panama and Port Antonio.