Carnival to Build, Operate Cruise Terminal in Honduras

Carnival Corporation & plc has signed an agreement to build and operate a cruise terminal on the island of Roatan, Honduras. Development of the facility -to be called Mahogany Bay Roatan- is expected to start in fall 2007 and be completed by summer 2009 at a cost of $50 million.

The cruise facility will be situated on 20 acres on the Roatan waterfront and will consist of a two-berth cruise terminal capable of accommodating super post-Panamax vessels and up to 7,000 passengers daily.

Partnering with Carnival on the project is Jerry Hynds, a local business leader and a member of the Honduran Congress. He is also the owner of Coral Cay, a resort property located adjacent to the planned port facility.

Within five years of operation, Mahogany Bay Roatan is expected to host 225 cruise ship calls and 500,000 passengers annually.

Adjacent to the facility will be a 35,000-square-foot Welcome Center including retail shops, restaurants and bars, along with a 60-foot-high lighthouse, a lagoon with cascading waterfalls, and a nature trail.

A transportation hub with the ability to accommodate taxis, rental cars and tour buses is also planned. A variety of shore excursion opportunities, to be provided by local tour operators, are being developed, as well.