- Thread starter Manuel01
- Start date
New Santo Domingo Cruise Port in front of Hotel Jaragua
take a walk. The sidewalks are an obstacle course of cracks, uneven concrete and holes. Take one miss-step and you have a twisted ankle. If your head is not on a swivel, you may get hit by a moto or car.
These were my Initial thoughts as well , but you provided a lot more insight and detail than I would have.
Unless This Area has Changed since I have been there , which is a couple years .. the through Traffic alone , makes it impossible as others have stated.
I just can not visualize this idiotic Project .
She Shipping Port was a completely different Scenario and different shoreline . You need a Natural COVE to do a project like this , I always had assumed..
But Hey , I come from a State where they think Pumping Sand onto beaches only to watch it erode away on the very next Storm, is a Good way to spend Peoples Money, so who am i to say .
Whats next , an Airport in front of Hotel Melia? Its as if these People have DREAMS of DUBAI .. on a Dominican Budget
Guys you have to understand the history a bit here. The Vicinis, one of the most powerful families in DR, if not the most powerful, have been buying up the Malecon for years. They have a massive apartment development and, coincidentally there is a large empty plot next to Jaragua which is also theirs. Abinader part-owns the new big hotel they have built in the Colonial Zone. David Collado who was raised by Juan Vicini has been talking about getting the Malecon right for years, when he was mayor of Santo Domingo and now when he is next-in-line for the presidency. And Carolina Mejia, the major of Santo Domingo, has also talked extensively about the Malecon.
I've done a lot of Caribbean cruises myself maybe more than 20. And to be honest going from beach to beach resort is pretty boring. The Colonial Zone has a lot to offer - there are a lot of historical sites, there are lots of pavement cafes and nice shops for tourists. Let's face it there are buses and buses and buses which come in every day from Punta Cana on day trips and clearly people don't hate the trip otherwise they wouldn't be able to sell it.
I think you also have to set this in the context of a country that looked at a tropical wilderness years ago and has transformed it into the largest tourist destination in the Caribbean. Sorting out the Colonial Zone and the Malecon in comparison to building Punta Cana is a walk in the park.
I've done a lot of Caribbean cruises myself maybe more than 20. And to be honest going from beach to beach resort is pretty boring. The Colonial Zone has a lot to offer - there are a lot of historical sites, there are lots of pavement cafes and nice shops for tourists. Let's face it there are buses and buses and buses which come in every day from Punta Cana on day trips and clearly people don't hate the trip otherwise they wouldn't be able to sell it.
I think you also have to set this in the context of a country that looked at a tropical wilderness years ago and has transformed it into the largest tourist destination in the Caribbean. Sorting out the Colonial Zone and the Malecon in comparison to building Punta Cana is a walk in the park.
I have to agree. I don't know anything about the aforementioned families, but I do know that many people, self included, love history and its artifacts. That alone would be a giant draw.
If they were to close the Malecon from Maximo Gomez to, say the Hotel Napolitano. That would solve a lot of problems.
There was a time the ferry was worth it's weight in Gold. but now, there's a new ferry that will go daily from San Pedro to PR. What will that do the the ferry dock on the river?
If they closed the ferry dock on the river, then cruise ships could dock there as well and that would be another PITA problem solved with truck movements.
There was a time the ferry was worth it's weight in Gold. but now, there's a new ferry that will go daily from San Pedro to PR. What will that do the the ferry dock on the river?
If they closed the ferry dock on the river, then cruise ships could dock there as well and that would be another PITA problem solved with truck movements.
Unfortunately, I still do not see it. If you read the cruise reviews and see what most passengers are looking for, it is a beach, zip line, snorkeling, those kinds of things. Yes, passengers like to get off and shop, see some sights, but I do not see the ZC being a large enough attraction. In San Juan for example, that port is in Old San Juan, a lot of shopping, restaurants, etc. It is right there when you get off the ship, easy access. But yet cruisers still complain about it, the prices, etc... There are tours from Punta Cana to Santo Domingo, but they are not as popular as one would think. But who knows, maybe it will be good.
Get tourists coming off of a ship and jumping on a little tourist train to the ciudad colonial and the businesses will start popping up absolutely every where.
Even the ubiquitous gay bars all over the city will get converted to tourist traps
Even the ubiquitous gay bars all over the city will get converted to tourist traps
I agree. El Conde has a start. Even the Mercado Modelo would draw interest. The cathedral. Definitely could spend a day there now, with more businesses (resulting from cruisers visiting) it can only improve.
A train is an interesting idea. Some cruise ports have trams that transport passengers from point A to point B so having a tourist train to the ZC would attract those wanting to explore.
There are a maximum 5 lesbian/gay bars. The Colonial Zone is one of the only places in the Caribbean which has an openly gay scene and every weekend all the hotels and restaurants are very happy indeed for the number of LGBT tourists who come to the area. The tourism authorities are very aware of the contribution of the pink pound to the local economy.
Besides cruise ships tens to come in the morning and leave late afternoon. They will benefit the tourist shops and the bars in the daytime.
Also worth mentioning that with sometimes 7000 souls on board these ships get through a lot of food. And will use a stop in Santo Domingo to stock up on produce so our farmers and coffee growers for example will benefit from this.
Most cruise ports have shuttle buses that take you to the city. When the ships dock at San Souci they use the little chu chu trains to take people to the Colonial Zone which is probably just as far to walk as from Jaragua
Also Calle de las Damas the first street in the Americas. Fortaleza Osama. The monument to Colombus. Plaza España. The mausoleum. Museum of the Royal Houses. To name a few. Plenty to keep someone occupied for a good few hours. And for those who want beach they will have trips to Juan Dolio or Boca Chica and charge $100 for a pair of sun beds and a shade.
ZC is getting a major upgrade. By the time the cruise terminal is ready (if it ever gets built) the entire old center will be completely renovated.
Also keep in mind that cruisers see things differently than the all-knowing residents here on the forum.
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And some people on this forum struggle to understand that the DR is different to the US. They can't look at the world through a different lens.
And some people on this forum struggle to understand that the DR is different to the US. They can't look at the world through a different lens.