HOLISTICA
FEATURE
L-R: Puerto Plata’s Taino Village is themed on the pre-Columbian Taino culture and port construction is under way; landside work at Roatán
Today Freeport receives about 400,000 cruisers annually. In 2022, when the project’s first phase is complete, the numbers are forecast to more than double, to 1m. That isn’t expected to be at the expense of other Bahamas destinations.
‘Many cruise lines are just passing by Freeport and not stopping,’ Shamosh says. Yet its strategic location, close to South Florida and other Bahamas ports, means ships can stay late or overnight. After dark, live entertainment and performances are planned, for example, Cirque-like productions, concerts by famous performers, light shows and fireworks.
Shamosh says lines are going to include Freeport in cruises of three, four, five, six, seven, eight and 10 days.
Holistica’s deal with the Bahamas includes provisions for local ownership, employment, job training (such as skills needed to work at Grand Bahama Shipyard), community investment and sustainable construction practices.
Taino Bay
This project is reinventing Puerto Plata’s waterfront, replacing the old cargo port where, decades ago, cruise ships were regular visitors. In the first phase, the pier is being enlarged to 400mtr/1,312ft, to enable two ships of Oasis-class size. A second phase envisions an additional 300mtr/984ft extension so three Oasis-size ships could dock at once.
A 16-acre landside development includes Taino Village, themed on the culture of the pre-Columbian Taino people. Other elements are Amber Village, Ninja Warrior, an aviary/botanical garden, a lazy river, waterfall features, a gastronomic
seatrade-cruise.com
tour, VIP villas, a spa, a large pool and a FlowRider.
‘It will have lots of unique features, natural materials, water features and places to pamper guests,’ Shamosh says. Yet it’s designed to be a three- to four-hour experience ‘because we want them to go out and discover the destination.’ Adjacent to the port is the colonial city, which is being reinvigorated with a hefty investment going into the main plaza. The aspiration is for an ambiance like that of Cartagena or Old San Juan.
There is local involvement in the design, development and investment on the part of communities, government, investors and hoteliers.
‘We’re helping and cooperating with the government on some design and logistics to benefit downtown Puerto Plata,’ Shamosh adds. ‘The government is putting an enormous investment into developing this area.’ Carnival Corp. & plc’s nearby Amber Cove Cruise Center already brings visitors and with Taino Bay added to that, the government sees the opportunity to develop the entire downtown.
Starting in November, Puerto Plata is in the charts for brands including Virgin Voyages, Norwegian Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, Royal Caribbean International and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. This first season, winter 2020/21, is expected to draw a hefty 600,000 passengers, increasing to an estimated 800,000 to 850,000 in 2022.
Roatán
A second Oasis-class berth at Roatán was completed in December, and an expanded shoreside development is under way. One area is themed as Garifuna Village with a rum bar, chocolate experience, coffee shop and market
selling local products and souvenirs. A shore excursion departure hub is being created.
By summer’s end, the shoreside area should be 50% larger. Shamosh says it will have a waterfront gastronomy experience featuring the best flavours and dishes of Honduras, along with entertainment and music.
This year the port is set to handle 800,000 passengers, going to more than 1m in 2021.
Puerto Costa Maya
Developed by ITM Group, Costa Maya is now under Holistica. ‘There shouldn’t be any change. We’ll continue to operate as usual,’ Shamosh says, adding: ‘We’ll keep expanding and creating new attractions every year, and new excursions and new frontiers to discover in Costa Maya.’
A fourth berth was completed in early 2019. One of the more recent shoreside additions is a beach-club-like development at Bacalar Lagoon. This nature-focused spot offers swimming from white-sand beaches, kayaking, hammocks swaying over the lagoon, trail hikes in the forest and other nonmotorised activities. According to Shamosh, ‘It’s extremely well-received.’
Costa Maya’s 2020 passenger count is likely to be 1.6m, rising to almost 1.8m in 2021.
Kumamoto To underscore the fact that Holistica isn’t limited to the Bahamas and Caribbean, one of the portfolio’s initial developments is in Japan. There, at Kumamoto, where cruise ships have been calling for some years, Holistica is behind a cruise terminal that was scheduled to open in April.
Additional destinations are expected to be announced by Holistica in the near future.
Seatrade Cruise Review 59
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