By SEAN DOUGLAS Wednesday, September 30 2009

TRADE Minister Mariano Browne said two cruise ships were hired for the recent Fifth Summit of the Americas at a total cost that works out to be about $100 million.

Replying to a question in the Senate yesterday from Opposition Senator Mohammed Faisal Rahman, he said the cost of hiring the ships, the Carnival Victory and the Caribbean Princess, had each been about US$10 million, giving a total cost of US$21.228 million.

The Victory was US$10,143,405 and the Caribbean Princess cost US$10, 954,690.

In addition, he said, some US$150,000 had been spent on management services for these ships by a separate contract with a firm, Landry and Klein. Browne noted that some US$3.013 million had been recouped by income from accommodating participants on-board during the pre-Summit events and the Summit, and from the post-Summit cruises.

Of this figure, some US$1.527 million was earned by charging for accommodation, US$15,355 earned from onboard functions, and US$1.479 million from post-Summit cruises.

Browne said that taking these earnings into account, the net cost of the two ships was US$18.214 million.

He said the hiring had been done by the Tourism Development Company for April 12 to 26 to meet the shortfall in hotel rooms for the Summit.