GRAND TURK CRUISE
CENTER SCHEDULED TO
RE-OPEN IN EARLY
OCTOBER
MIAMI -- Sept. 11,
2008 – The Grand
Turk Cruise Center, which is operated by Miami-based
Carnival Corporation & plc, and located on
the island
of
Grand Turk, has scheduled an Oct. 8, 2008 re-opening
date, following the passage of Hurricane Ike.
An engineering survey has
confirmed that no damage was sustained to the
cruise ship pier,
which can accommodate up to two ships at one time. Minimal
damage occurred to the facility’s retail and restaurant
complex.
“We believe we can
complete repairs to the cruise center within a 30-day period
and bring cruise
ships back to Grand Turk,” said Giora Israel,
Carnival’s vice president of strategic planning and port
development. “We will be able to provide many of the
wonderful, beach, snorkeling and watersports experiences that
Grand Turk is famous for, along with the oversized pool and
food and shopping opportunities at the cruise center,
including the extremely popular Margaritaville restaurant.”
Israel added that
returning cruise ships quickly will provide important economic
benefits to Grand Turk while the island moves forward with its
recovery efforts. In addition to its existing staff on the
island, Carnival
Corp. & plc will bring in a number of additional
skilled workers who will be housed and fed by the company.
Those individuals will not only repair the cruise center
complex, but also assist in the repair of some of the island’s
key attractions.
“We will be investing
millions of dollars in the coming months to help Grand Turk
quickly re-build its cruise-focused tourism. Bringing tourists
back to the island as quickly as possible will play a major
role in driving the island’s overall recovery,” said Israel.
The Grand Turk Cruise
Center is the largest private employer on the island and the
cruise center staff, combined with
shore excursion
operators, comprises approximately 80 percent of
non-government jobs in Grand Turk.
Carnival Corporation & plc
will also be providing financial and logistical assistance to
shore excursion operators to enable them to resume their
businesses. Cruise passengers and crew members will be
provided the opportunity to participate in volunteer-oriented
excursions for those who wish to assist in the island’s
recovery effort.
The Grand Turk Cruise
Center, which opened in 2006, has become one of the cruise
industry’s most popular Caribbean cruise destinations. The
$60 million, 13-acre complex features an 800-foot-long private
beach, swimming pool and FlowRider attraction, which offers
body boarding and stand-up board surfing, in addition to
multiple retail outlets. The FlowRider, which was not
damaged, will re-open pending the status of power supply on
the island. The cruise center’s lush landscaping, much of
which was lost as a result of the storm, will be replaced on a
gradual basis over the next several months.
The Grand Turk Cruise
Center serves as a gateway to the pristine island of Grand
Turk, which is world-renowned as a diving and snorkeling
jewel, and also features magnificent beaches, striking
aqua-blue waters, and a variety of fishing and watersports
activities.
The first cruise ship
scheduled to call at Grand Turk will be
Carnival Cruise Lines’
Carnival Destiny on Oct. 8. Carnival Cruise Lines is
the largest cruise-line user of the Grand Turk facility.
Several other cruise lines, both from within the Carnival
Corp. & plc family of brands and from other cruise operators,
also regularly call at Grand Turk.
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