There is good new for cruisers who are looking for a new port to visit in the Caribbean. Amber Cove, a port in the Dominican Republic where portions of the original Jurassic Park movie was filmed, is scheduled to open in October 2015.
Carnival Corporation is spending $85 million to develop Amber Cove along the Dominican’s Amber Coast. This two berth port will be able to accommodate the largest cruise ships owned by Carnival Corp. and the port is expected to be visited by 250,000 cruise passengers in the first year of operation.
Amber Cove, the gateway to Puerto Plata, will be visited by AIDA Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Holland America Line, and P&O Cruises (UK). This will be the first time since the 1980s that this area will be regularly visited by cruise ships.
The first cruise ship that will call on Amber Cove will be the Carnival Victory on October 6, 2015. Other Carnival cruise ships that will port in Amber Cove will be the Carnival Fantasy, Carnival Splendor, Carnival Valor, Carnival Sunshine, Carnival Conquest, and Carnival Breeze.
Giora Israel, the senior vice president of global port and destination development for Carnival Corporation gave the following statement:
“There are several markets that are becoming increasingly important to the cruise industry, but today the Caribbean is the single largest share of our business.
We are constantly looking for new ways for our guests to enjoy their cruise experience, and it is always exciting to add new destinations to our itineraries, especially in the Caribbean where many of our passengers have been before.
We are confident that our guests will love visiting Amber Cove, which we believe will quickly become a very popular port of call for our guests. And because Amber Cove is easily accessible, it will give our guests a convenient gateway to the Puerto Plata region, which is spectacular. And importantly, Amber Cove will allow us to offer our guests a new option in our Caribbean itineraries.”
The port will feature a variety of retail offerings on a waterfront welcome center. There will also be a Dominican marketplace for souvenirs, crafts, and food and beverage establishments.
There will be roughly 40 shore excursions available that will included everything from beaches and water sports to adventure and cultural options. Ocean World is one of the region’s largest marine adventure parks and will allow cruise passengers to interact with a variety of marine animals.
Other Carnival brands are scheduled to make their debut at Amber Cove starting on November 22 with Cunard’s Queen Mary 2. Following the Queen Mary 2 will be P&O Cruises’ Azura on December 5, AIDAvita on December 11, Costa Deliziosa on December 31, and ms Eurodam on January 19, 2016.
