4/10/2009

INFORMATION FOR FOREIGN DELEGATES TO THE

PRE-SUMMIT FORA OF THE FIFTH SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS

PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

APRIL 14 – 19, 2009

Accreditation

All persons participating in the Civil Society Forum, the Private Sector Forum and the Youth Forum of the Americas during the period April 14th to 16th 2009, must be accredited by the National Secretariat for the Fifth Summit of the Americas.

A personal, non-transferable Identification (ID) Badge will be issued to each pre-accredited participant upon arrival at the airport.
This badge will be available at an Accreditation Desk at the airport from the morning of Monday 13th April to 6:00pm on Saturday 18th April.
The Desk will be open each day from one (1) hour prior to first incoming flight to one (1) hour after the last flight.
The machine-readable badge will incorporate security features and will determine access to the cruise ship, the venue of the Forum. The ID badge must be worn at all times and visibly displayed.

Pre-accredited delegates arriving at the airport before Monday April 13th will be required to collect their badges at the Accreditation Centre situated at the Old Fire Station Building, corner Abercromby and Hart Streets, Port of Spain. The Accreditation Centre will open from the morning of Monday 13th April to 6:00pm on Saturday 18th April, and will operate on a continuous 24-hour basis.  Local pre-accredited delegates will also be required to collect their badges at this Accreditation Centre.

Participants who may have had difficulty applying online or who have provided incorrect or incomplete information, will be required to visit the Accreditation Centre at the Old Fire Station Building to complete the accreditation process. Accreditation on arrival may however result in delays.

For any modifications on printed badges or to report lost or stolen badges, delegates are asked to submit the relevant information in person to the Accreditation Centre.

A Welcome Desk will be opened at the North Terminal of the Piarco International Airport at 8:00am on Monday 13th April to facilitate the transportation needs of all participants at the Fifth Summit of the Americas and the Pre Summit Fora.

Airport Ground Transportation on Arrival/Departure

Delegates to the Pre- Summit Fora will have access to the National Secretariat’s airport shuttles to the cruise ships. Airport shuttles will commence at 8:00 a.m. on April 13, 2009.

Transportation shuttles for the Delegates to the Pre Summit Fora will include:

Airport Shuttle: to/from Piarco International Airport

Seaport Shuttle: between the cruise ships and downtown, Port of Spain

Special Event Shuttle: from the cruise ships to/from the Queen’s Park Savannah for People’s Space on the evening of April 16th.

The personal, non-transferable ID Badge must be worn by all Delegates wishing to board any of the above shuttles.

Cruise Ship Accommodation

Accommodation is provided for persons attending the Private Sector Forum and the Youth Forum of the Americas on the Caribbean Princess. Accommodation is provided for persons attending the Civil Society Forum on the Carnival Victory Cruise Ship. These ships will be anchored in the Port of Spain harbour.  Both ships will be available for boarding at 8:00 p.m. on April 13, 2009. Guests requiring accommodation prior to April 13, or after 11.a.m on April 20, are advised to make the necessary arrangements with land based hotels. Information on accommodation is available at www.gotrinidadandtobago.com.  An accommodation help desk will be located at the Piarco International Airport, in the vicinity of the Accreditation Centre for on-site bookings for delegates only.

Security

A 24-hour security plan has been formulated for the Cruise Ship and surrounding areas. Only persons with official clearance will be granted access to these zones.

Cruise Ship Baggage

North Terminal – Piarco International Airport

There will be designated service counters at this Terminal for participants of the Fifth Summit of the Americas and the Pre-Summit Fora. Baggage for persons being accommodated on board the cruise ships and who arrive on commercial flights at the North Terminal will claim their baggage and place it at a designated secured baggage holding area at the airport, for screening.
Individuals must accompany their baggage through the screening process. 

Baggage will be tagged at the airport, with the ships’ appropriate tags identifying the Cruise Ship’s name, passenger name and cabin number. Delegates will be assisted by dedicated staff to place their tagged Baggage on the Airport Shuttle which will take them to their cruise ship.

The Baggage will be dropped off at the Cruise Ship’s specific designated area at the Port of Port of Spain’s Cruise Ship Facility and/or be transferred directly to the ship. Once the baggage is inside the ship, it will be sorted by deck and cabin number and delivered to the appropriate Stateroom for guests.

Carry on baggage or any baggage walked through the Port’s facility, regardless of its origin will need to be screened at the cruise ship terminal.

Cruise Ship Check in Process at the Cruise Ship Complex Facility

Upon arrival at the Port of Port of Spain, delegations and persons boarding both cruise ships will be required to check-in as well as undergo security screening. The Port of Port of Spain Cruise Ship Terminal is located at No. 4 Dock Road, Port of Spain.

The location of the check-in points, although both at the Cruise Ship Terminal, would vary based on the cruise ship in which persons will be boarding. Persons boarding the Caribbean Princess should do so at Terminal 1 and for the Carnival Victory Terminal 2. Persons boarding the ships must present their printed e-ticket and their Passport ID, upon arriving at the ships’ gangways.

Persons/delegations will receive a notice from the ships’ staff during the course of their stay to confirm their departure transport requirements.

Check out at the Caribbean Princess and the Carnival Victory

All delegates are required to check-out and disembark both cruise ships by 11:00 a.m. on April 20, 2009. All payments for onboard expenses must be settled prior to departure.

Transport will be available for delegates from the Cruise Ship Terminal to the Piarco International airport as well as for persons requiring accommodation immediately thereafter at land based hotels. Persons requiring transportation to land based hotels will be provided transport to hotels only within the City of Port of Spain.

For additional information on any of the above topics please refer to Fifth Summit of the Americas Information Bulletin No. 3.  This Bulletin is available from the Fifth Summit of the Americas website: http://fifthsummitoftheamericas.org