On May
15, 2012 Groundbreaking ceremonies for the Caribbean’s newest
destination, the $65 million Amber Cove Cruise Center, were held
yesterday in the
Dominican Republic at the project site on the Bay of Maimon located near
Puerto Plata in the country’s North Coast.
The new facility – which represents one of the largest cruise industry
investments ever made in the Dominican Republic – is scheduled to open
in 2014. The project
is designed to re-establish the Dominican Republic’s North Coast as a
popular cruise destination. The last cruise ship to call at Puerto
Plata was nearly 30 years ago.
The ceremony attracted a number of dignitaries from the Dominican
Republic, including President Dr. Leonel Fernandez Reyna, Minister of
Tourism Francisco Javier
Garcia, Minister of Public Works & Communications Victor Diaz Rua,
Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Ernesto Reyna, Director of
the Dominican Republic’s Center for Export and Investment (DR-CEI)
Eddie Martinez, Customs Director Rafael Camilo and
Dominican Port Authority (APORDOM) Director Ing. Ramon Rivas.
A joint project between Carnival Corporation & plc and the Rannik
family of Grupo B&R, the new two-berth Amber Cove Cruise Center will
be able to accommodate
up to 8,000 cruise passengers and 2,000 crew members daily. The
facility is expected to host more than 250,000 cruise passengers in its
first year of operation.
Amber Cove will encompass 30 acres of waterfront property and will
feature a welcome center with a variety of retail offerings, including a
marketplace for locally
sourced Dominican crafts and souvenirs, as well as a wide range of
themed restaurants and bars and an exciting water attraction. A
transportation hub allowing visitors easy access by land and sea to the
surrounding destinations and attractions will be included,
as well.
“This is a glorious day for the Dominican Republic. It is already being
inscribed in the annals of our recent economic history as one of the
most significant
steps we have taken to assure the transformation and development of
Puerto Plata, the northern region, and the entire country. With this
cruise terminal, tourism and economic activity in Puerto Plata and the
north region will rise to occupy a preeminent regional
position in the entire Caribbean, showing that a combination of natural
beauty, a supportive government policy, investment by a world-class
company determined to put its trust in our country, and above all the
quality of our people, are key factors that can
secure present and future generations ample growth opportunities in the
tourism sector,” said President Leonel Fernández Reyna.
Added Jeffrey Rannik from the Rannik family/Grupo B&R, “We’re very
pleased to team up with cruise industry leader Carnival Corporation
& plc on the exciting Amber
Cove project which will serve to re-establish the North Coast as a major
destination for cruise ship visitors. This magnificent facility will
not only provide cruise ship guests with a positive shoreside experience
but also serve as an economic catalyst for
the North Coast and the surrounding region.”
“Amber Cove promises to be a spectacular facility that will serve as a
gateway for cruise guests to experience the natural beauty and wonder
that makes the Dominican
Republic such an attractive tourist destination,” said Giora Israel,
Carnival Corporation & plc’s senior vice president of global port
and destination development.
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