First cruise ship docks at Guaymas

R

rikyt

Guest
First cruise ship docks at Guaymas
By Gabriela Rico
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 10.16.2008


GUAYMAS, Sonora -- As if synchronized by some grand plan, the first cruise ship to the Port of Guaymas made its appearance this morning just as the sun rose, highlighting the moment in golden light.
Thousands of people lined the docks, shore lines and tops of hills to watch the historic arrival of the Holland America cruise ship, a signal of economic revitalization for the once-sleepy fishing port.
Many of those who crowded on the deck to see the massive ship pull up to the dock wiped away tears as a youth marching band played welcome tunes.
State and federal officials were on hand to greet the captain and welcome passengers, who peered from the balcony of the ship to watch the enthusiastic welcome of the crowd below.
"Bienvenidos!" (Welcome) the crowd yelled to the ship passengers. "Gracias!" many shouted in return.
The governor was expected to hold a ceremony this afternoon and turn over a set of the city's keys to the ship's captain.
 
A

azbeachboy

Guest
Guaymas is nothing like Rocky Point. R.P is so far behind what Guaymas and San Carlos have to offer. The deep port has been in use for years in Guaymas.
WELCOME TO GUAYMAS AND SAN CARLOS!


Guaymas (population 130,000) and San Carlos (population 7,000) are the most northerly of Mexico's mainland tourist destinations. Located on the shores of the Sea of Cortez just a few hundred miles south of Arizona, these two towns receive more drive-down traffic than any other Mexican mainland destination.

The large and protected natural harbor at Guaymas is perfect for boat lovers, and many visitors leave their boats in the water here all year and then fly or dive down when they have a chance. This beautiful harbor, combined with the clear waters of the Sea of Cortez and the tall, rugged mountains just inland combine to give this area a unique feeling very similar to the eastern flank of Baja, California.
 
dry heat

dry heat

Pigeon coup coordinator
a meeting was held on tuesday in puerto penasco and was attended by reps for holland america, carnival cruises and developers of a few of the resorts in sandy beach. they are planning on moving along with the completion of the port within 5 years and the 1st cruise ship arriving in 3 years. puerto penasco will be part of a 14 day cruise when the cruise starts in san diego. It will also have a 7 day cruise when it starts in puerto penasco.
 
Kelney

Kelney

Guest
Dry Heat
Just curious, where do they plan on building this deep harbor? Next to the one that is about 5 years behind schedule? Once the ship docks, what would the itinerary be to entertain the passengers? Just in case they need a few ideas I would be happy to offer up a few:
• A trip to the world famous Cet-Mar Aquarium. They can tease the Pargo, throw fish at the seals and pet a turtle and be entertained for 20 minutes.
• Check out the Mercado! I bet they will see tourist shit that they have yet to see on there Mexican cruise. ;)
• A tour of the unfinished condo projects! Well, come to think about it they may not have enough time for that.
• A fishing trip to the 2 mile reef (weather permitting). Catch all the Rock Bass and Triggers you can eat!
• Take a harbor booze cruise. Oh wait, they just got off of one.
• Well, after a long day they can finish up with a Happy Face massage!

I am sure I am missing a few things “To Do” that some others may chime in on.
 
rockyptjoe

rockyptjoe

Guest
Dry Heat....I'm curious too! Where are they going to dredge a harbor that can handle a ship over 600 ft. long and that has a draft of 24-29 ft (which is what most of the cruise line ships are)???? A ship that large couldn't turn around in RP harbor, or even the hole they dug out past the Reef. Cholla Bay? with the tidal range of up to 24+ ft at full/new moon, where are they going to anchor? Out past the light? They could all shuttle in to to JJ's for some real Mexican entertainment!

BTW....how big is that "dogfish" going to grow? The last time I was at Cetmar, it was already a monster!
 
A

azbeachboy

Guest
You don't need a deep water port. On my last cruise two of the three ports didn't have one. In Progresso Mx. they built a stone pier about a half mile out in to the ocean. In Belize they took us back and forth on small boats.
If I were on a cruise I'd find Rocky Point really boring. What kind of excursions do you have?
Oyster farms
La Pinta
Whore house's
Rodeo Drive
In Belize I went cave tubing. In Progresso I say Aztec ruins. For me it's all about the excursions!!! Not the port of call.
 
InkaRoads

InkaRoads

cronopiador
No, no, no the main attraction will be "the black whip" I know some one here has her /his picture for those who forgot IT!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :eek3:
 
G

garyd

Guest
If you build it they will come. Costa Maya, the newest port in the Western Caribbean, may be located on a peninsula but in effect it feels more like a private island created from scratch expressly for cruisers. Costa Maya is located on the Caribbean Sea approximately 100 miles south of Playa del Carmen and quite close to the border of Belize.

Costa Maya is what you'd expect if, say, Disney World decided to create its own private island in Mexico: a man-made tourism village with bars, restaurants, shops and pools at the ready. Indeed, Costa Maya was only recently carved out of the surrounding jungle. The faux village itself was created solely to woo cruise passengers and it has a myriad of facilities -- pools, restaurants, bars, shops, a performance stage (there are music and dance shows throughout the day) and a small beach (though it's too rocky to swim). Since Costa Maya first began accepting cruise passengers in February of 2001, the developers have added some attractions such as Croc World, a quirky (and expensive at $15 per person) natural habitat zoo for alligators and crocodiles, and a beach house and water sports area, which is actually well away from the main village and is typically used by cruise lines as a shore excursion option.

Beyond that? What's interesting is that in developing an entire destination out of scratch in a place whose only settlement was the nearby village of Majahual, 80 residents strong, the folks who created Costa Maya had to build everything. They worked with Coca-Cola to install water sanitation systems (and yes, it is safe to drink water within the Costa Maya confines). They built brick-paved roads and concrete cottages for the employees who pretty much all come from elsewhere and needed housing.

For folks who just want to get into the "don't worry, be happy" mindset, the lure of Costa Maya can pretty much consume the day. Those who want to venture further have intriguing options, too. The region is home to some lesser known (but still important) Mayan ruins. The site most cruise passengers come here to see is Chacchoben, a city dating back to around 350 A.D.

Another place worth visiting beyond Costa Maya's boundaries is the rickety seaside village of Majahual. Once a simple haunt for fishermen, the place has exploded (in a good way sometimes, in a bad way others) in response to the infiltration of tourists venturing beyond Costa Maya. There are seaside huts serving fresh ceviche, lovely white sand beaches with shallow surf (perfect for families) and way, way too many entrepreneurs selling the usual souvenirs.

Though already an mainstay on some lines' Western Caribbean itineraries (such as Carnival), Costa Maya ironically received a boost in tourism during and after hurricane season. Hurricane Wilma damaged Cozumel's piers so severely that several lines are temporarily bypassing it in favor of a call at Costa Maya.

Currently, Costa Maya can handle at least three ships, resulting in more than 6,000 visitors per day.



When I went to Costa Maya about 5 years ago there was a pier and a Duty Free store which sold booze and gifts. Gary
 
S

Submarine

Guest
Kelney said:
Dry Heat
Just curious, where do they plan on building this deep harbor? Next to the one that is about 5 years behind schedule? Once the ship docks, what would the itinerary be to entertain the passengers? Just in case they need a few ideas I would be happy to offer up a few:
• A trip to the world famous Cet-Mar Aquarium. They can tease the Pargo, throw fish at the seals and pet a turtle and be entertained for 20 minutes.
• Check out the Mercado! I bet they will see tourist shit that they have yet to see on there Mexican cruise. ;)
• A tour of the unfinished condo projects! Well, come to think about it they may not have enough time for that.
• A fishing trip to the 2 mile reef (weather permitting). Catch all the Rock Bass and Triggers you can eat!
• Take a harbor booze cruise. Oh wait, they just got off of one.
• Well, after a long day they can finish up with a Happy Face massage!

I am sure I am missing a few things “To Do” that some others may chime in on.
Click to expand...
Now thats some funny shit right there!

  • See the militarized Policia in action, visit the scenic jails! Take an excursion to a drug/gun checkpoint![/*:m:2b3kpb1s]
  • Enjoy a timeshare presentation! Free breakfast![/*:m:2b3kpb1s]
  • See the neverending trash pile! Follow the white painted curbs.[/*:m:2b3kpb1s]
  • Play "tag the security man" See how many gated properties you are denied entrance to.[/*:m:2b3kpb1s]
  • Take a blast to the past and visit the Mexican equivalent of Service Merchandise. Buy small appliances on the payment plan![/*:m:2b3kpb1s]
  • Hey, a liquor store![/*:m:2b3kpb1s]
 
B

BeachMom

Guest
Now thats some funny shit right there!

  • See the militarized Policia in action, visit the scenic jails! Take an excursion to a drug/gun checkpoint![/*:m:1fxbifi3]
  • Enjoy a timeshare presentation! Free breakfast![/*:m:1fxbifi3]
  • See the neverending trash pile! Follow the white painted curbs.[/*:m:1fxbifi3]
  • Play "tag the security man" See how many gated properties you are denied entrance to.[/*:m:1fxbifi3]
  • Take a blast to the past and visit the Mexican equivalent of Service Merchandise. Buy small appliances on the payment plan![/*:m:1fxbifi3]
  • Hey, a liquor store![/*:m:1fxbifi3]
Click to expand...
* Local Pharmacia Tours available
* Watch the gringo get pulled out of Sandy Beach attraction (seasonal)*.
 

Attachments

dry heat

dry heat

Pigeon coup coordinator
As I told you last week, here you go haters...

http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/263524.php

Sea of Cortez cruises to depart new Rocky Point port
Puerto Peñasco foresees 200 sailings a year as it plans massive port facility
By Gabriela Rico
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 10.22.2008
advertisement
Cruising the Sea of Cortez will be another draw to Puerto Peñasco, where construction on a massive port to accommodate cruise ships is set to begin next year.
"The home port will be similar to those in Miami or San Diego," said Epifanio Salido Pavlovich, director of the Sonora Office of Tourism.
He said Holland America — which last week made its inaugural sailing to the new Port of Guaymas — has agreed to sail four- to seven-day cruises originating and ending at a home port in Puerto Peñasco, with two to five stops along the route.
Salido said the port will be ready to receive its first ship in about three years.
When the port project is finished within about five years, as many at 200 cruises a year could be offered from the Puerto Peñasco cruise ship terminal, Salido said.
He said officials plan to approach other major cruise lines to complement the service offered by Holland America. The project is being funded by Mexican government and private investors.
Initially, the state of Sonora is spending about $15 million to jump-start the project, said Jesus Fontes, planning director for the state tourism agency.
He said the total cost has not been calculated, since the design has yet to be developed.
The cruise-port plan comes as other transportation improvements are under way.
The new Puerto Peñasco airport is expected to open in the spring, and the highway to San Luis Rio Colorado later in 2009, Salido said.
Improvements also are being made to the Lukeville Port of Entry, the re-entry point into the United States from the main road to Puerto Peñasco.
Construction of a private hospital, catering to U.S. baby boomers, is also under consideration.
 
B

BeachMom

Guest
"Improvements also are being made to the Lukeville Port of Entry, the re-entry point into the United States from the main road to Puerto Peñasco."

There are?! Where?
 
dry heat

dry heat

Pigeon coup coordinator
BeachMom said:
"Improvements also are being made to the Lukeville Port of Entry, the re-entry point into the United States from the main road to Puerto Peñasco."

There are?! Where?
Click to expand...
It's an underground tunnel that is being widened in order to facilitate coming into the US illegally.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top