Berthing Violent Nostalgia: Restored Slave Ports and the Royal Caribbean Historic Falmouth Cruise Terminal

This study critically examines the restoration of Jamaica's Historic Falmouth Cruise Terminal, highlighting how its development by Royal Caribbean and local authorities selectively memorializes the port's violent history as a hub for the Atlantic slave trade. The research reveals that while the terminal is marketed as a 'renaissance' and 'restoration,' it perpetuates a narrative of progress that erases the long-lasting impacts of slavery on both people and place. Through analysis of press releases, media coverage, and public events surrounding the terminal's opening, the study exposes the contradictions in claims of rebirth, which gloss over the 'haunted design' of a site deeply tied to colonial exploitation. The approach combines discourse analysis with historical investigation to uncover the ghostly remainders and exclusions embedded in this economized vision of heritage tourism.

Hori, J. M. (2016). Berthing Violent Nostalgia: Restored Slave Ports and the Royal Caribbean Historic Falmouth Cruise Terminal. American Quarterly, 68(3), 669–694. https://doi.org/10.1353/aq.2016.0058