Carnival to Build and Operate Cruise Terminal in Honduras

Carnival Corporation & plc has signed an agreement to build and operate a cruise terminal on the island of Roatan, Honduras. Development of the facility - to be called "Mahogany Bay - Roatan" – is expected to start in fall 2007 and be completed by summer 2009 at a cost of $50m. The cruise facility will be situated on 20 acres on the Roatan waterfront and will consist of a two-berth cruise terminal capable of accommodating super post-Panamax vessels and up to 7,000 passengers daily. Partnering with Carnival on the project is Jerry Hynds, a local business leader and a member of the Honduran Congress. He is also the owner of Coral Cay, a resort property located adjacent to the planned port facility. Within five years of operation, "Mahogany Bay - Roatan" is expected to host 225 cruise ship calls and 500,000 passengers annually. Adjacent to the facility will be a 35,000-square-foot Welcome Center including retail shops, restaurants and bars, along with a 60-foot-high lighthouse, a lagoon with cascading waterfalls, and a nature trail.