MIAMI, Oct. 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Corporation
& plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world's largest travel
and leisure company, today officially opened an all-new, highly
anticipated expansion of its operations in Cozumel, Mexico, adding a third berth to the
company's pier at Puerta Maya, the most popular cruise destination
in the Caribbean.
With an investment of more than $20
million, the all-new "arm" was added to the company's
existing pier to allow three ships to be moored at the terminal at
the same time. To mark the occasion, three of the company's ships –
Carnival Breeze, Carnival Freedom and Carnival Triumph – arrived
today and became the first trio of ships to use the new three-berth
pier. The pier will accommodate any ship across Carnival
Corporation's 10 brands, including its next-generation ships.
With 3.3 million cruise guests annually, Cozumel is the busiest cruise destination in
the Caribbean, the world's largest
global cruise market. Carnival Corporation's extra capacity with
the expanded pier will allow more ships to call on Cozumel, increasing the number of guests who
can visit the destination while also providing a significant
economic boost to the local economy. In 2014, about 1.5 million
Carnival Corporation guests visited Puerta Maya on 25 different
ships originating from eight homeports and two countries across six
of the company's brands, and the company expects this to grow over
the years with the added capacity at the port.
"Cozumel is the Caribbean's most visited cruise ship
destination and consistently receives high ratings from our
guests," said Giora Israel, senior
vice president of global port and destination development for
Carnival Corporation. "So the destination is in demand by our
guests, and we are excited about officially opening the third berth
to our pier, since it gives our brands greater flexibility for
visiting Cozumel and more of our
guests the opportunity to enjoy the island."
While the new berth has been in the planning stages since 2005,
work started on the new pier in May
2014. The existing two-berth pier was re-opened in
October 2008, following an extensive
$50 million reconstruction to repair
the damage caused by Hurricane Wilma in 2005 which included
destruction of the original pier. The rebuilt two-berth pier and
the all-new arm providing a third berth at the pier have been
constructed to withstand a threshold category 5 hurricane, in
addition to being able to accommodate any ship in Carnival
Corporation's fleet.
"While this is a major milestone for our company, it is also a
memorable day for our business partners in Mexico," said Israel. "Without their
collaboration, this project would not have been possible, and we
extend our appreciation for their openness and cooperation. We are
looking forward to how the expansion of our pier will have an
important economic impact on jobs and opportunity for locals.
Cozumel, one of the jewels of the
Caribbean, has come a long way
since it was devastated in 2005 by Hurricane Wilma. It is rewarding
to see the island flourishing. And now, with today's opening of our
third berth, even more of our guests will be able to make
Cozumel part of their vacation
experience."
The Puerta Maya pier and welcome cruise center is located on the
southwestern part of Cozumel,
approximately five miles south of San
Miguel, the island's largest city. The cruise center houses
over 50 different outlets offering apparel, fine jewelry, artwork
and other merchandise from recognizable retailers such as Milano
Jewelers, Del Sol, Piranha Joe's,
Dufry and Diamonds International. The facility also features 15
stand-alone carts where local merchants market colorful handmade
crafts, costume jewelry and souvenirs.
In April 2015, the expansive
cruise center opened the world's first underwater oxygen bar.
Called Clear Lounge, the 13,000-gallon freestanding aquarium
provides guests with a unique 20-minute experience underwater.
Guests enter the bar wearing a high-tech Sea Trek helmet, a
specially designed clear diving helmet, which provides a mixture of
oxygen and aromatherapy. Bartenders serve up oxygen-enriched
smoothies. The lounge also features the world's first underwater
photo booth, complete with a variety of props, from sunglasses to
martini glasses. Guests can play games such as Jenga, write on
message boards and target practice with high-powered bubble
guns.
On-site dining options within the Puerta Maya complex include
the Tres Amigos Bar, a theme restaurant inspired by the 1986 hit
movie "Three Amigos" starring Steve
Martin, Chevy Chase and
Martin Short. The waterfront eatery
-- the first of its kind in the Caribbean -- offers traditional Mexican fare,
along with an extensive beverage menu.
Also featured is Pancho's Backyard, an outpost of the popular
downtown Cozumel eatery featuring
magnificent ocean views, as well as Fat
Tuesday, a waterfront bar offering frozen drinks and light
snacks, along with a DJ and dance floor.
The shore excursion pier, separate from the main pier, allows
for quick and convenient access to water-bound excursions serving
both the mainland of the state of Quintana Roo and island of Cozumel.
Puerta Maya, one of three cruise terminals in Cozumel, is owned by Carnival Corporation.
Carnival Corporation operates five additional global ports,
including the newly opened Amber
Cove in Dominican Republic;
Palacruceros in Barcelona, Spain;
Grand Turk Cruise Center in Turks and Caicos Islands; Mahogany Bay in
Roatan, Honduras; and Long Beach in California.
The company also operates two private island destinations in
the Caribbean, Princess Cays and Half Moon Cay. In total,
Carnival Corporation cruise ships visit over 725 ports of call
around the world.
About Carnival Corporation & plc
Carnival
Corporation & plc is the largest cruise company in the world,
with a portfolio of 10 cruise brands in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia, comprised of Carnival Cruise Line,
Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, AIDA Cruises,
Costa Cruises, Cunard, P&O Cruises (Australia), P&O Cruises (UK) and
Fathom.
Together, these brands will operate 100 ships in 2015 totaling
219,000 lower berths with 17 new ships scheduled to be delivered
between 2016 and 2022. Carnival Corporation & plc also operates
Holland America Princess Alaska Tours, the leading tour companies
in Alaska and the Canadian Yukon.
Traded on both the New York and
London Stock Exchanges, Carnival Corporation & plc is the only
group in the world to be included in both the S&P 500 and the
FTSE 100 indices.
Additional information can be found on www.carnival.com,
www.hollandamerica.com, www.princess.com, www.seabourn.com,
www.aida.de, www.costacruise.com, www.cunard.com,
www.pocruises.com, www.pocruises.com.au and www.fathom.org.
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SOURCE Carnival Corporation & plc