Carnival Cruise Lines - Port in Maimon

[windeguy]

How far behind will they be is the question

Less than two months before the arrival of the first cruise at the Maimon terminal, but Puerto Plata is not fully prepared
PUERTO PLATA -A month and twenty days before the arrival of the cruise ship ?Victory?, however the construction of the park and amphitheater sprig boardwalks, the facelift of the Historic Center of Puerto Plata have not been finished yet.
Both Constructora Kuky Silverio as the Global Construction, companies that have been responsible both pledged to finish works within eleven months. However, it?s been almost two years and the works have not been concluded.
The engineer Erick G?mez, commissioned by Constructora Kuky Silverio of the work of the park and amphitheater sprig reported that work will be delivered to the Ministry of Tourism in the month of September 2015.
Gomez said that the works are advanced by more than 90% and that will end the park and amphitheater, representing 80% of the project by the deadline, while the remaining 20%, which corresponds to a second stage , will be initiated after the delivery of the first phase.
The engineers serving the Global Constructora have said that the revitalization of the Historic Center will not be finished till the end of this year and will be finished in the first quarter of 2016.
They noted that the jobs promised end in less than a year, may not be possible due to unforeseen problems found in the sections of the Sanchez and Mella streets were operated and the slow delivery of resources by the Ministry of Tourism .
As explained by the technical advisor to the Department of Planning and Projects of the Ministry of Tourism, architect Jonathan Gonzales, these two works are part of a group of seven projects to be implemented to relaunch the destination Puerto Plata.
The slow implementation of the work has disrupted the daily lives of the residents of the streets, intervened and caused a decrease in sales for businesses operating there, which has resulted in huge losses to their owners.
The inhabitants and owners of commercial establishments affected are suing the Ministry of Tourism for not accelerating the revitalization of the Historic Center, and they will not continue to bear losses that are on the verge of bankruptcy.
Source: Detras del rumor
August 13, 2015

 

[ohmmmm]

it takes about an hour to get from maimon to costambar. the roadworks in progress. they only have about a month and a half to finish...

Driving along that stretch of road it sure seems obvious that there is no way in _____ they are going to finish this year on the road. The shear amount of work to blast rock from the hills along the road, move some businesses/homes and create bridges or fill in low areas is huge. In the mean time, they took a nice scenic area and made it extremely ugly. I don't know what the budget for all of this, but I am sure its going to be 8 times what the budget is. This is a difficult area to widen the road. imho...

 

[dv8]

more protests from the locals, this time because the government did not pay for their land. an interesting thing thou. natives sold the land to the government who then sold to carnival? neat.
http://noticiaspop.com.do/propietar...mon-y-camioneros-protestan-por-falta-de-pago/

warning: link may play shi**y music.

 

[the gorgon]

more protests from the locals, this time because the government did not pay for their land. an interesting thing thou. natives sold the land to the government who then sold to carnival? neat.
http://noticiaspop.com.do/propietar...mon-y-camioneros-protestan-por-falta-de-pago/

warning: link may play shi**y music.

thanks for being so diligent in kepping us up to speed on these developments. i am not surprised that the government bought the land, then sold it back. that is just par for the course, and we should not expect better. i hope those poor slobs get paid, but that is like ****ing up a rope.

as to the crap music...i have no idea what this new paradigm is. you open a Dominican press release, you get Antony Santos.

 

[ohmmmm]

thanks for being so diligent in kepping us up to speed on these developments. i am not surprised that the government bought the land, then sold it back. that is just par for the course, and we should not expect better. i hope those poor slobs get paid, but that is like ****ing up a rope.

as to the crap music...i have no idea what this new paradigm is. you open a Dominican press release, you get Antony Santos.

This is also done in the USA under eminent domain laws. The government has the right to acquire land for a public purpose. Recently the purpose has expanded to private economic purposes as well if it can be shown to have a greater public impact in the future. The government usually acquires land at the value before the proposed development is announced. Therefore, the compensation is based on a much lower value. I think this is done in most other countries, but eminent domain laws and the right of compensation rules can vary considerably.

 

[zoomzx11]

under eminent domain the city/county government took one of my houses and land to build a tennis court in Berkeley, Ca. They paid. In US when the government takes they pay, in DR not so much. Wonder where the money Carnival paid went?

 

[the gorgon]

under eminent domain the city/county government took one of my houses and land to build a tennis court in Berkeley, Ca. They paid. In US when the government takes they pay, in DR not so much. Wonder where the money Carnival paid went?

you beat me to it, zoom. i have no beef with the government demanding your property under eminent domain, because if that was not an available option, then nothing would get built. i have a problem with government taking someone?s property , then not p?ying for it in a timely fashion. most of those people are not wealthy, and have to close down little cook shops and colmados to vacate the property.

 

[the gorgon]

i can think of no defining reason why the experiences in Maimon are going to be any different than this

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/caribbean-cruises-leave-wave-bitter-merchants-0

 

[Cdn_Gringo]

I agree. The problem is on both sides of the equation. The tour operators affiliated with the ship or tour company are primed to get first crack at tourists interested in excursions. International retailers are able to pay to have access to arrivals on the pier or on the resort and agree to for the most part to conduct business in an atmosphere of low pressure sales tactics.

Many locals on the other hand, have no appreciation of the the mentality of these foreigners who are horrified at the prospect of having to say "no thank you" 50 times as they walk 300 feet past stall after stall offering the same tourist trinkets. How many times are you prepared to decline a massage when you are with your wife and kids? How many wooden parrots that don't easily pack into a suitcase does one need?

The desire of a local merchant to at least attempt to entice a passenger to their wares is not predicated on an understanding that this same tourist has already been approached umpteen times and the fact that they are not yet carrying a plethora of newspaper wrapped trinkets is indicative of their desire to be left alone to browse if they choose but otherwise allowed to go on their way without having to explain time and time again why they are not interested in whatever is on offer.

These tourists complain bitterly to the ships and the resorts about this invasion of their personal space, waste of their time and just how uncomfortable this whole situation makes them feel. It's the same port after port.

During the permit process these resorts and cruise companies promise wherever is needed to pacify the locals and get permission to build their infrastructure and facilities. Then the problems inevitably begin for the companies and the locals. In the end, the ship is going to side with their customers and their desires. After all, that's where their money comes from. The locals don't have a chance. The odd visitor who ventures beyond the gate or the property is inevitably swarmed by those eager for the chance to make a living and the cycle continues.

Until the locals figure out a way that they can peddle their wares that doesn't result in tourists complaining of being endlessly harassed, the locals will continue to be kept at arms length and that just is the reality when it comes to meeting the demands of an average tourist who is wearing checkered shorts, socks and sandals.

 

[dv8]

some basic data here.
between 6th of october and 29th of january 32 ships are expected to arrive to amber cove. this is two ships per week. a total of people on all the ships is over 125,000 (about 100,000 passengers and 25,000 crew).
http://noticiaspop.com.do/equipo-co...orma-arribaran-125574-turistas-y-tripulantes/

 

[windeguy]

"The locals don't stand a chance" sums it up nicely Cdn_Gringo.

 

[the gorgon]

I agree. The problem is on both sides of the equation. The tour operators affiliated with the ship or tour company are primed to get first crack at tourists interested in excursions. International retailers are able to pay to have access to arrivals on the pier or on the resort and agree to for the most part to conduct business in an atmosphere of low pressure sales tactics.

Many locals on the other hand, have no appreciation of the the mentality of these foreigners who are horrified at the prospect of having to say "no thank you" 50 times as they walk 300 feet past stall after stall offering the same tourist trinkets. How many times are you prepared to decline a massage when you are with your wife and kids? How many wooden parrots that don't easily pack into a suitcase does one need?

The desire of a local merchant to at least attempt to entice a passenger to their wares is not predicated on an understanding that this same tourist has already been approached umpteen times and the fact that they are not yet carrying a plethora of newspaper wrapped trinkets is indicative of their desire to be left alone to browse if they choose but otherwise allowed to go on their way without having to explain time and time again why they are not interested in whatever is on offer.

These tourists complain bitterly to the ships and the resorts about this invasion of their personal space, waste of their time and just how uncomfortable this whole situation makes them feel. It's the same port after port.

During the permit process these resorts and cruise companies promise wherever is needed to pacify the locals and get permission to build their infrastructure and facilities. Then the problems inevitably begin for the companies and the locals. In the end, the ship is going to side with their customers and their desires. After all, that's where their money comes from. The locals don't have a chance. The odd visitor who ventures beyond the gate or the property is inevitably swarmed by those eager for the chance to make a living and the cycle continues.

Until the locals figure out a way that they can peddle their wares that doesn't result in tourists complaining of being endlessly harassed, the locals will continue to be kept at arms length and that just is the reality when it comes to meeting the demands of an average tourist who is wearing checkered shorts, socks and sandals.

there is enough blame to go around. i remember when i was a young pup, in the epoch of the pterodactyl, my mother took me to the Jamaica Crafts Market, because she was picking up some crap for a visitor to our neighborhood. the usual garbage...straw hats, shakers, carved wooden heads and miscellaneous wildlife. i guarantee you dollars to donuts that some of those vendors, if they are still alive, are still selling the same shyte today.

my point is that the locals have not adjusted one bit. the clientele has changed, in Jamaica for instance. it is no longer the days of Yankee coming to see where the rum comes from. tourism is now an internationally homogenized commodity, and every country looks just like the other, and has the same thing the other has, especially when we are talking all inclusive. if i blindfold you, and drop you off at an all inclusive hotel in 10 different islands, you would think you are in the same place.

paradigms have changed. memorabilia have changed. 40 years ago it was the straw hat and the cup with the Dominican flag. nobody needs to pay 5 dollars for some ceramic mug, made in Bumfuk, China, when they can get it at Walmart for 99 cents. if they want memorabilia of their visit, that is what iphones and selfies are for. when you have to pay 20 dollars for an extra bag on Jet Blue, nobody needs a 2 foot long wooden parrot.

 

[ohmmmm]

Well, as far as the country as a whole is concerned... Some revenue is better than no revenue. Taxes and such from port charges to retail sales taxes can be big to the central government. If the tourists don't stop in the DR then they will find a port somewhere else so why not capture the dollars?

I don't personally see most cruisers being able to handle the stuff that happens here in the DR. They will be like sitting ducks in the real world environment. The least of the problems is haggling and negotiating for trinkets and many cruisers will not like to do that. Some will like to negotiate but in a controlled environment. On this island, separating the cruisers from the general public where they will be vulnerable and without defense to landrones may be a good idea...

 

[Cdn_Gringo]

Sadly most tourists are terribly naive. At home, they plug their ears with their ear-buds, walk down the street staring at the screen on their phone and assume traffic will stop for them as they cross the street.

When they leave that familiar environment, they don't even think to look at the people they walk past or notice the guy with curly hair that has been following them for the last 10 minutes. They don't make eye contact with people preferring not to tempt the possibility of any sort of conversation. They don't realize that crowds are the playground of pickpockets and carry on with their stuffed wallets in their back pockets or their purses dangling open. Hit 5 major attractions in Rome with a wallet in your back pocket and it's almost guaranteed, it will be gone at some point.

Most don't get that the local tour operators are comped to bring them to specific stores and shops or that the merchandise is often not was it is described and is priced on the assumption that most won't have the stomach to haggle the price down by 75%.

Not all tourists are completely oblivious but many need a babysitter to save them from themselves. The vacation providers have learned that is more profitable to just avoid all of these potential problems and provide the excursions and carefully screened merchants themselves. Who leaves their camera and passport in an unattended beach bag while they cool off in the surf? Hopefully not many, but I spoke to one such person last season in Sosua and the outcome was as expected.

Maybe a centralized tourist market laid out like an Ikea. Tourists are dropped off at the entrance, wander through a set path and are collected at the exit. Each merchant is licensed and read the riot act. Too many complaints and that merchant is replaced. Only so many licenses are issued to trinket dealers and the rest to those who offer a varied product offering.

The free for all approach doesn't seem to benefit anyone in fact quite the opposite.

 

[the gorgon]

Sadly most tourists are terribly naive. At home, they plug their ears with their ear-buds, walk down the street staring at the screen on their phone and assume traffic will stop for them as they cross the street.

When they leave that familiar environment, they don't even think to look at the people they walk past or notice the guy with curly hair that has been following them for the last 10 minutes. They don't make eye contact with people preferring not to tempt the possibility of any sort of conversation. They don't realize that crowds are the playground of pickpockets and carry on with their stuffed wallets in their back pockets or their purses dangling open. Hit 5 major attractions in Rome with a wallet in your back pocket and it's almost guaranteed, it will be gone at some point.

Most don't get that the local tour operators are comped to bring them to specific stores and shops or that the merchandise is often not was it is described and is priced on the assumption that most won't have the stomach to haggle the price down by 75%.

Not all tourists are completely oblivious but many need a babysitter to save them from themselves. The vacation providers have learned that is more profitable to just avoid all of these potential problems and provide the excursions and carefully screened merchants themselves. Who leaves their camera and passport in an unattended beach bag while they cool off in the surf? Hopefully not many, but I spoke to one such person last season in Sosua and the outcome was as expected.

Maybe a centralized tourist market laid out like an Ikea. Tourists are dropped off at the entrance, wander through a set path and are collected at the exit. Each merchant is licensed and read the riot act. Too many complaints and that merchant is replaced. Only so many licenses are issued to trinket dealers and the rest to those who offer a varied product offering.

The free for all approach doesn't seem to benefit anyone in fact quite the opposite.

i am sure that cruise operators are bound by some kind of liability arrangements for occurrences to their passengers while they are on land. well, i am not sure, but i have the instinct that they do. therefore, the concept of exposure enters into the equation. in a country such as the Dominican Republic, in which getting onto public transportation is rolling the dice of life, i scarcely believe that Carnival, or any operator, wants its charges traipsing into some random taxicab and becoming an aspect of the evening news. i am sure they are going to have special tour buses, connected to Carnival, designed for the purpose of ferrying passengers around. when your port of call has the highest vehicular homicide rate on planet earth, you are bound by duty and due diligence to protect them from the Toyota Corolla with the bald tires and no lights, nor brakes.

 

[Cdn_Gringo]

Even if the operators aren't automatically responsible for negative occurrences that happen off the ship or outside the compound, that won't stop someone from filing a lawsuit when they get home. These days you have no option but to do everything possible to avoid liability and even then there are no guarantees that your common sense due diligence will hold up in court.

 

[the gorgon]

Even if the operators aren't automatically responsible for negative occurrences that happen off the ship or outside the compound, that won't stop someone from filing a lawsuit when they get home. These days you have no option but to do everything possible to avoid liability and even then there are no guarantees that your common sense due diligence will hold up in court.

i agree with you 100%. and lawsuits are things which have to be paid for, unless they are taken on a contingency basis, which will not be the case if you are the respondent. not to mention the fact that the cruise ship business is the bottom feeder of human exertions, and competitors will do their darnedest to muddy you up with negative articles about your level of responsibility to your clients.

 

[windeguy]

31 excursions offered to the cruise chip passenger by Carnival

Tuesday, October 6 will be the day, the first cruise ship will dock in the newly constructed port of Maim?n. It will be a big party and even President Danilo Medina will be present to cut the ribbon. The tour operators have been busy and made a catalog in which they offer 31 excursions to the cruise chip passenger.
Prices for a trip of 2 to 5 hours range from 30 to 130 dollars per person. Excursions like, visiting a typical Dominican family, the rum factory Brugal, the Telef?rico, the cable car to the top of Mount Isabel de Torres, a visit to the amber museum or Gregorio Luperon museum, safaris, the amphitheater in Puerto Plata, excursion along the Victorian houses and buildings in Puerto Plata, Cabarete and its water sports or a visit to the Jewish Museum in Sos?a. Tour operators, transport companies, catering and gift shop owners are ready and waiting for the flow of tourists and they hope for a golden future.

Source: Sosua News

 

[GuillermoRamon]

Anybody know if there are any CURRENT Aerial photos of the completed port floating around anywhere?

 

[the gorgon]

Tuesday, October 6 will be the day, the first cruise ship will dock in the newly constructed port of Maim?n. It will be a big party and even President Danilo Medina will be present to cut the ribbon. The tour operators have been busy and made a catalog in which they offer 31 excursions to the cruise chip passenger.
Prices for a trip of 2 to 5 hours range from 30 to 130 dollars per person. Excursions like, visiting a typical Dominican family, the rum factory Brugal, the Telef?rico, the cable car to the top of Mount Isabel de Torres, a visit to the amber museum or Gregorio Luperon museum, safaris, the amphitheater in Puerto Plata, excursion along the Victorian houses and buildings in Puerto Plata, Cabarete and its water sports or a visit to the Jewish Museum in Sos?a. Tour operators, transport companies, catering and gift shop owners are ready and waiting for the flow of tourists and they hope for a golden future.

Source: Sosua News

some really wonderful tourist attractions there...the Amphitheater...yeah..right.