San Juan Upgrades Cruise Piers to Handle Mega Ships

Puerto Rico’s San Juan now has two more piers that can accommodate mega cruise ships, said Fernando Bonilla, the executive director of the San Juan Port Authority, last week. Drainage work was completed on Piers 3 and 4, adding to four already existing piers in San Juan Bay that have the capacity to handle large cruise ships.

“The cruise industry continues to evolve towards larger ships with more passenger capacity. This is the existing trend and we aim to be at the forefront of this in order to continue to supply the market’s needs, to continue to be a top destination for cruise lines, and to continue to strengthen the tourist industry,” said Bonilla.

The Port Authority invested $6.5 million in the drainage project, which resulted in new water depths of 35 and 38 feet for Piers 3 and 4, respectively. Two Royal Caribbean mega ships will dock in the Port of San Juan in 2007, the statement said.

The drainage project was under the supervision of Florida-based Caribbean Marine Company and consisted of the removal of about 1.4 million cubic feet of sediment in the docking zones of Piers 3 and 4, a project completed in accordance to the guidelines created by the Corps of Engineers of the U.S., the Port Authority said.