The newly rebuilt pier at the Puerta Maya Cruise Center in Cozumel, Mexico – closed since being damaged by Hurricane Wilma in 2005 – welcomed its first ships today when the 2,052-passenger Carnival Ecstasy and 2,056-passenger Carnival Fantasy docked at the facility this morning.
The $50 million cruise center, built and operated by Carnival Corporation & plc, features a new two-berth pier designed to withstand a threshold category 5 hurricane. The pier can accommodate any vessel among Carnival Corporation & plc’s various brands. Puerta Maya Cruise Center also includes a variety of shopping and dining opportunities, as well as a transportation hub, and a new shore excursion pier. A pharmacy, convenience store and international phone center are also available.
Today’s calls by the Carnival Fantasy and Carnival Ecstasy are the first of 550 cruise ship visits scheduled for Puerta Maya over the next year.
Additionally, vessels from Carnival Corporation & plc brands will continue to utilize the other two piers in Cozumel. Collectively, these ships will bring an estimated 1.5 million visitors annually to Cozumel, who are expected to spend $126 million on the island each year.