New Marine Structures for Montego Bay to accomodate growing number of Cruise Passengers
Breasting Dolphin and Floating Pier advance expansion of port
Montego Bay, January 13, 2005
Cruise ships longer than 900 feet will soon be able to dock in Montego Bay, following the construction of a breasting dolphin, a marine structure designed to support the impact of a ship when berthing. The new breasting dolphin will allow the port to meet growing demand from cruise lines until the planned expansion of the port of Montego Bay, scheduled to commence ****
In the mean time, a purpose-built floating pontoon pier will enable passengers from larger ships to come ashore. This pier has been built to the specifications defined by the cruise lines, and will be in place by Tuesday, January 18.
“Montego Bay enjoys sustained and considerable attention from the cruise lines but space constraints have prevented us from welcoming the larger ships. These new structures allow us to respond to market interest in the short-term, even as we put the expansion strategies in place for the longer term,” said Mr William Tatham, Vice President of Cruise Shipping and Marina Operations at the Port Authority of Jamaica.
The floating pier will be utilised for calls by the 1890-passenger Celebrity Cruises Galaxy, and later by the Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas, with a passenger capacity of 2435.
The breasting dolphin offers several advantages including the flexibility of application—it can be used by both cruise ships and the pleasure craft servicing passengers; it can also be easily relocated to other sections of the island. “The flexibility of the breasting dolphin gives us the opportunity to explore cruising in new areas, and that in itself is a significant bonus,” said Mr Tatham.
Up to November, Montego Bay recorded a 2% growth of cruise passenger arrivals of 285, 645, up from 280,097 for the same period in 2003.
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