The arrival of a spectacular four-mast sail boat in Cayman Brac on Friday could herald the start of a new era of cruise tourism for the island. Without the amenities or the infrastructure to adequately handle full-size cruise ships, tourism chiefs on the Brac hope to tap into a niche market of smaller touring vessels.

Costa Cruises has revealed the inaugural cruises for Costa Diadema, the fleet’s future flagship which will be delivered by Fincantieri on October 30th 2014. The first cruise departing on November 1st will be the vernissage cruise, with three new culturally rich and architecturally beautiful cities included in the itinerary.

Cruise lines are being invited to begin “formal talks” with government over the development of new berthing facilities in George Town harbor. Companies are being approached in their role as the key users of the new docks rather than as potential business partners in building the facility.