Porthole....

BETTER THAN EVER

Try as she might, Mother Nature can't keep a good port down

With another relatively active hurricane season behind the cruise industry, several ports damaged by hurricanes in 2008 and earlier years are now better than ever. With new facilities and offerings for arriving (and departing) passengers, the following ports have most definitely weathered the storms.

Costa Maya

Perhaps no other port in the world deserved a warmer welcome back to the world of cruise travel than the popular Port of Costa Maya. On October 31, Costa Maya welcomed Holland America’s Westerdam as the first ship to dock at Costa Maya since its closure in 2007 due to extensive damage from Hurricane Dean.

Port of Costa Maya president Teofilo Hamui was on hand to personally greet the Westerdam’s captain, Peter Harris as well as welcome returning and new visitors. “We are delighted to see cruise passengers visit our shores once again,” said Hamui. The patience and support we received from our cruise industry partners and previous visitors during our vast recovery is much appreciated.”

The port re-opened with several major improvements to its infrastructure, as well as to the neighboring fishing village of Mahahual, which was also damaged by the hurricane. In fact, the new berthing station at Costa Maya is currently one of only four ports in the world with the capability of accommodating the next generation of cruise ships. The port can handle three ships at once.

Early port visitors were able to enjoy unspoiled beaches, lush tropical jungles, world-class diving and snorkeling, and an area rich in Mexican culture and history. A beachside boardwalk and lighthouse were added in Mahahual during the rebuilding, as was an exciting new shore excursion called BioMaya Bacala--a zip-lining adventure through the Mayan jungle.

Located just hours south of Cancun, but in its own world, Costa Maya sits right on the sea and features three grand pavilions, artisan and luxury shopping areas, beach club, saltwater pools, varied restaurants and bars, and lots of activities. Seatrade Insider named it “Port of the Year” in 2007.

Cozumel

Perhaps equally welcomed by Mexican tourism officials, cruise industry veterans, and visiting passengers was the re-opening of Carnival Corporation & plc’s pier at Puerta Maya this past October. Closed since damage from Hurricane Wilma in 2005, it officially re-opened with calls from Carnival Ecstasy and Carnival Fantasy on October 16 last year.

After an investment of more than $50 million, the new two-berth pier was built to withstand a category 5 hurricane and can accommodate practically any ship afloat. Along with the new pier, the nine-acre Puerta Maya cruise center features a variety of newly re-opened restaurants (from Tres Amigos to Pancho’s Backyard) and shops (more than 40 options), as well as a large transportation hub for tour buses, taxis, and four rental car operations. There’s also a pharmacy, convenience store, international pay phone center, and a unique new shore excursion pier that’s separate from the main pier. In addition, a permanent exhibit highlighting reef preservation has been added, along with a beach and coral reef etiquette card for disembarking passengers.

The Puerta Maya pier is about five miles south of San Miguel, Cozumel’s main town. In operation while the Puerta Maya pier was rebuilt, the two other piers on the island were also continuing to be used by visiting ships.

Grand Turk

Hit by Hurricane Ike this past September, Grand Turk Cruise Center suffered minimal damage and closure of less than a month. An engineering survey indicated that no damage was sustained by the modern two-ship pier and that the Cruise Center’s famed facilities would--and did--quickly recover. When ships started returning (starting with Carnival Destiny on October 8), cruise passengers and crew were offered the unique opportunity to participate in volunteer-oriented excursions to help with port and island recovery.

Early on, Giora Israel, Carnival's senior vice president of port and destination development, predicted that re-opening the cruise center so soon would not only be possible, but also essential to the economy of the island, as 80 percent of the island's non-governmental jobs are based at the GTCC.

"We will continue to invest millions to help Grand Turk quickly re-build it's cruise-focused tourism," Israel says. "Bringing tourists back to the island as quickly as possible was a major role in driving the island's overall recovery."

Originally opened in 2006 at a cost of $60 million, the complex quickly became one of the most popular cruise ship calls in the world. Highlights still include an 800-foot-long private beach, FlowRider body boarding and surfing, a bustling pool, varied watersports, dining, and shopping, and the island charms and history of Grand Turk proper.

Port of Galveston

In early-November, the Port of Galveston welcomed the Carnival Ecstasy after a relatively short closure due to Hurricane Ike. “We took a hit, however we quickly rebounded,” said Steve Cernak, director of the Port of Galveston.

With the resumption of cruises after the temporary use of the Port of Houston’s Bayport Cruise Terminal, Carnival remains a year-round operator out of Galveston (since its inception of year-round cruises in 2000). Along with Carnival Ecstasy, Carnival Conquest is based in the Port of Galveston full-time.

Port of New Orleans

The downtown tourist areas of New Orleans rebounded relatively quickly from 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, as did the popular and convenient port. The $37 million Erato Street Cruise Terminal and Parking Garage opened in 2006, and the port’s director of cruise and tourism Robert Jumonville reports the future is bright, with many large lines strongly committed to the city. In early February, Carnival hosted a Community Service Day, where crew and passengers all chipped in to help with post-Katrina damage before embarking on the second annual John Heald Bloggers Cruise.