President Danilo Medina was in Puerto Plata on Tuesday, 15 January 2019, for the symbolic start of the remodeling of the Puerto Plata cargo dock and the construction of a cruise ship terminal and docks. The project will also include the construction of a special dock for fishing boats, the dredging of the port area and a series of associated port works.
The remolded Puerto Plata port is being promoted as a “multipurpose national port” and will have capacity to receive three cruise ships simultaneously as well as high capacity cargo ships. The project calls for an investment of around US$125 million. Víctor Gómez Casanova, executive director of the National Port Authority, said that he already has commitment letters from five of the leading cruiselines in the Caribbean that will ensure that in the first year of operations around 650,000 cruise passengers will arrive on multiple ships.
Gómez Casanova explained the contract was won by the same Mexican company that operates the ports of Costamaya, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen and in Honduras. The Mexican company, Promociones Turísticas Mahahual won the tender carried out by the government for the port and is working together with the local partner, Consorcio Puerto Plata Port Investments in the construction of the port.
The new cruise ship facility will be marketed as Taino Bay. This would be the second cruise ship facility in Puerto Plata. A first, Amber Cove is successfully operated by Carnival Cruise, is located 20 minutes south of the city in Maimón.
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Listin Diario
Hoy
16 January 2019
