Ferry service launch delayed to early next year

The long-anticipated Connect Caribe ferry service, poised to address decades-long challenges in cargo and passenger transport across the Caribbean, is now set to launch in the first months of the new year, the head of the ferry’s parent company said.

With a price tag exceeding $50 million, the private sector-led initiative, previously slated to begin operations in the last quarter of this year, is now projected to commence during the first quarter of 2025, said Ambassador Andre Thomas, chief executive and chairman of Connect Caribe’s parent, Pleion Group Inc.

“The launch of Connect Caribe has been delayed due to the sheer complexity of executing such a large-scale and transformative project. Ensuring its success from the outset has required meticulous planning and stakeholder engagement,” he told Barbados TODAY.

“A key factor was the integration of the US Virgin Islands into our business model. This region plays a critical role in trade between the USA and the Caribbean, handling approximately $25 billion of the $52 billion in trade flows.”

More than 60 years since the Federal Palm and Federal Maple briefly moved people and goods throughout the region, Connect Caribe aims to provide maritime transport for the movement of people and cargo within the region, enhancing trade and regional connectivity. Its purpose is also to streamline maritime operations and promote trade facilitation.

Ambassador Thomas revealed that through a public-private partnership (PPP) agreement with the US Virgin Islands governor, Albert Bryan Jr., the Barbados-based Pleion Group has committed to establishing a maritime logistics hub.

That hub, he explained, will efficiently redistribute this trade across the Caribbean while also facilitating faster and more affordable access for Caribbean products entering US markets.

“This integration ensures the sustainability of operations by guaranteeing full container loads – essential for the long-term success of any private sector venture. While this process has required additional time, we are confident that the outcomes will set a new standard for regional connectivity and trade efficiency. It will undoubtedly be worth the wait,” Ambassador Thomas assured. “We are looking at a first-quarter start period.”

He said Connect Caribe will initially operate a large vessel servicing Barbados, St Vincent, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Trinidad, and Dominica.

An additional, dedicated cargo vessel will cover the Barbados-Trinidad-Suriname-Barbados route, while another will operate along the USVI route, Ambassador Thomas explained.