Royal Caribbean to send Legend of the Seas to Santo Domingo

[aegap]

Royal Caribbean to send Legend of the Seas to Santo Domingo
(Travelweekly.com, 06/08/2006)

Is this in anyway related to the planned Sans Souci port revitalization project?

Following an announcement in April that it will homeport a ship at an unspecified port in the Dominican Republic, Royal Caribbean International has revealed that it will sail its [2,064-passenger] Legend of the Seas out of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, beginning Dec. 16, 2007

The Legend will sail out of Santo Domingo through spring 2008, offering alternating eight-day itineraries that can be combined for a 16-day vacation. The ship will call in Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Roseau, Dominica; St. George’s, Grenada; Margarita Island, Venezuela; Oranjestad, Aruba; Basseterre, St. Kitts; Point A Pitre, Guadaloupe; Fort De France, Martinique; Bridgetown, Barbados; and Castries, St. Lucia...

related article,

A new homeport in the Dominican Republic ..

In a first for any major cruise line, Royal Caribbean will homeport a ship in the Dominican Republic. The Splendour of the Seas will operate seven-night itineraries in the southern Caribbean from December 2007 through March 2008.


Block said that homeporting in the Dominican Republic will be an advantage for passengers from Europe, Canada and Latin America, who have to obtain U.S. visas to sail out of Florida or Puerto Rico. She added that the Dominican Republic is already a popular destination with international travelers and has decent airlift.

[aegap]

Legend of the Sea carries 2,064 passangers and a crew of 732

[Dragonfly32837]

Cool!

[aegap]

Dominican shorelines, Royal Caribbean Cruises new hub

Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Republic will be the hub for Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited. The date by which the cruising company has scheduled initiating operations utilizing the country as its main port was slated to be December 16th, 2007, according to Maria Sastre, the line’s International and Sales Marketing vice-president for Latin America, Central America, the Caribbean and Asia.”...


Can any of the travel expert on this site confirm any of this?

[aegap]

Samana to become a Royal Caribbean Port of Call

...



Legend of the Seas ship Highlights:


. Rock-climbing wall
Glass-walled dining rooms
Casino RoyaleSM
Themed bars and lounges
Indoor/outdoor pool in a Solarium with a sliding roof
Stunning Centrum, an open atrium featuring shopping and more
18-hole miniature golf course
Outdoor pool
4 whirlpools
Adventure Ocean® youth facilities
.ShipShape® Day Spa and Fitness Center

[aegap]

A Legend calls Santo Domingo "Home"
As from 16 December 2007, Royal Caribbean will have a homeport in the Dominican Republic for the first time. Legend of the Seas will sail out of Santo Domingo, through spring 2008, offering two alternating seven-night itineraries that can be combined for a 14-night vacation. The announcement comes on the heels of the remodeling of the Port of Santo Domingo. The Legend of the Seas will continue on for visits to the Southern Caribbean visiting Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Roseau, Dominica; St. George's, Grenada; Margarita Island, Venezuela; Oranjestaad, Aruba; and Basseterre, St. Kitts; Point A Pitre, Guadeloupe; Fort De France, Martinique; Bridgetown, Barbados and Castries, St. Lucia.
The ship does not make a stopover in a US port of call, and thus no US visa is required. This is likely to make the cruise popular with international travelers who do not have US visas.
Sailing since 1995, the Legend of the Seas can house up to 2,076 guests.
Royal Caribbean International will be running charter flights from the UK's Gatwick airport so that travelers can take the cruise from the DR. The prices for the eight-night fly-cruises start at ?1,199. The two itineraries can be combined into a back-to-back 15-night fly cruise.

.....

This article indicates Royal Caribbean may be thinking of making Santo Domingo its main port of departure (home port) in the Caribbean. Currently, its main Carribean port is San Juan, Puerto Rico (~5 different ships).

[aegap]

Work advances on new port
Work is progressing on the construction of the modern Santo Domingo Port, which is preparing to receive cruise ships as of October 2006. The remodeling also includes the western side of the port, with that dock scheduled to enter into operation in September 2007, as reported in El Caribe. Port director Randolfo Rijo said that the eastern side extends from the Plaza Juan Baron to the floating bridge and the eastern dock covers the port of Sans Souci, the beach strip and part of the Navy facilities. The builders, Inversiones Turisticas Sans Souci were awarded a 40-year concession from the government, renewable every 10 years. They have announced an investment of US$400 million in the port, residential and tourist project. The project also includes the restoration of the Monumento a Montesinos that was donated by the Mexican government to commemorate the priest who was the first advocate of human rights in the Americas.


http://www.elcaribecdn.com/articulo_...73B&Seccion=63

[windeguy]

Does anyone know if a Dominican citizen can take either of the two cruises currently being offered by Royal Caribbean without obtaining any visas?

[aegap]

...I'm not sure, ..I'm sure it would depend on the destinations. i.e. If any requires visas for Dominican citizens than they'll most likely do.

[spkdave]

What is the location of the port?

btw - these are great news.