New Caribbean island for Carnival

In the past the mention of Haiti would bring a foreboding frown amongst political leaders and the man on the street alike.

For the Country suffered from bad government in the form of Papa Doc Duvalier, famed for littering the streets with bank notes in order to bolster his popularity and of course stay in power. The Country is also the spiritual home of Voodoo, the mystical and benevolent form of witchcraft that was depicted in one of the Bond films.

Once Papa Doc Duvalier was overthrown and had fled to France to end his days, the Country started the long painful journey to improve its poorest Country in the world status.  A recently announced boost comes from the Carnival Corporation who have declared, that they intend to build a new $70m port on the north of the island.

If you think about it, that would mean three of its destinations in the Caribbean within 110 miles of each other! The saving on fuel would be massive and a much varied range of itineraries would be available and the possibility of spending longer in the ports!

Besides Haiti’s Tortuga Island, the other destinations are Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos Islands and, scheduled to open in 2015, Amber Cove near Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic.

To have such varied destinations gives Carnival the edge and something new and exciting for new and existing customers.

Tortuga Island (Ile de la Tortue) looks amazing! The turtle-shaped island is secluded and has completely white sandy beaches. The island is 37.5 km long and 7 km wide. But how will this affect the locals? Many travel to the mainland for work. Could this all change? Have Carnival considered the locals while construction is underway?

Royal Caribbean also have a private island in Haiti called Labadee. They apparently use their own staff, mainly European to run the show.

In the meanwhile a port in Dominican Republic, Amber Cove is expected to open in 2015. This is another Carnival construction. It is very mountainous and offers a mixture of sandy beaches and water sports. Even the chance to whale-watch!

The port in Turks and Caicos has been operating as a Cruise port since 2006.

I wonder if nearby Cuba could ever be open to American cruise lines. You can then achieve many islands in the Caribbean in a single trip. Very appealing!

What do you think of this new port? Would you like to visit?

One other point, don’t count on using a mobile phone whilst you’re in the new port as there is no telecommunications network, mind you that’s maybe not a bad thing if you’re on holiday!

I would love to know what you think.

Get in touch!

Rosie xxx