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The $62 million Mahogany Bay Cruise Center at Roatan in the Bay
Islands officially opened this week and began welcoming cruise ships.
The Yachts of Seabourn’s’ 208-passenger Seabourn Legend
arrived on Saturday, Nov. 28, followed by Princess Cruises’ 3,070-passenger
Crown Princess yesterday. Carnival Cruise Lines’ 2,974-passenger Carnival Valor
is in port today. Reaction from cruise guests to the new facility has been
outstanding.
More than five years in development, and two years under construction, Mahogany
Bay Cruise Center encompasses 20 acres of waterfront property and includes a
two-berth cruise terminal which can accommodate up to 8,000 passengers daily. It
is a joint project of Carnival Corporation & plc and Roatan businessman Jerry
Hynds.
This week’s ship visits are the first of 200 annual ship calls at the new
facility, which is expected to host more than 500,000 passengers each year. In
addition to the Yachts of Seabourn, Carnival Cruise Lines, and Princess Cruises,
vessels from Holland America, Costa Cruises, and P&O Cruises, as well as
non-Carnival Corporation brands, are expected to call at the new facility, as
well.
In addition to a two-ship cruise pier, the Mahogany Bay Cruise Center offers a
welcome center along with a variety of retail outlets, including two themed
bars, a restaurant and several shops. A transportation hub with the ability to
accommodate taxis, rental cars and tour buses, along with a wide range of shore
excursion opportunities, which can be purchased on board the cruise vessels, are
also available.
Unique to Mahogany Bay is a new chair lift system that takes cruise ship guests
from the welcome center to beautiful Mahogany Beach, a 10-acre private island
featuring an 825-foot-long white-sand beach with a beach volleyball court and
myriad watersports opportunities. Eight exclusive cabanas are also available for
rent.
The “Magical Flying Beach Chair” takes guests on a six-minute ride across nearly
1,200 feet of suspended cables, providing not only convenient beach access but
views of the lush countryside as well. All-day passes for the beach chair lift
are $5 per person. An elevated path is also available for those who prefer to
walk.
“The Mahogany Bay Cruise Center not only serves as a gateway to one of the
Caribbean’s most beautiful islands but is also a destination unto itself, with a
magnificent white-sand beach and a wide range of shops, restaurants and shore
excursion opportunities,” said Giora Israel, senior vice president of port and
destination development for Carnival Corporation & plc. |
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Worldwide Travel & Cruise Assoc., Inc.
150 S. University Dr. Ste E,
Plantation, FL 33324 - USA
Tel: +1 954 452 8800 Fax: +1 954
252 3945
EMail:
sales@cruiseco.com |
