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 Massive new Oasis of the Seas.
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Plans are underway to widen one of Cozumel's piers to receive the next generation of giant "Project Genesis" cruise ships.
Once modified, the SSA International Pier will be ready to receive the 5,400 passenger Oasis of the Seas ship, which starts operating in May 2010.
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Francisco Kassian, Director of Business Development at SSA, the company that operates the pier, said today that by widening the pier from 12m (39 ft) to 17m (56 ft), it will be able to receive the massive new ship and one of the largest existing ships, at the same time.
He said the main reason the pier needs to be widened is to allow for the crowds of passengers that will disembark when the ships arrive at the dock.
Royal Caribbean International, the cruise line that will operate the Oasis of the Seas and other Genesis-class ships, announced the first itineraries last month.
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 Onboard amphitheater. |
The Western Caribbean route will depart from Fort Lauderdale in Florida to call at Labadee in Haiti, Falmouth in Jamaica and Cozumel. The massive new ship will have 16 decks, 2,700 state rooms, an amphitheater and a capacity of 220,000 gross registered tons.
 How the pier looks now. |
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In Cozumel, the pier modifications will need to pass environmental standards and require the approval of the Port Authority, API.
Final approval will then be given by the Mexican Federal Government's Secretariat for Communication and Transport.
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Harrison Liu, spokesman for Royal Caribbean, said approval is not in doubt and that it is "just a matter of getting the final blessings" from the authorities.
See our Transport section for more information about Cozumel cruises or visit the Oasis of the Seas website.
Related news:
King's Cruise To Cozumel, March 20, 2008.
SpongeBob Sailing To Cozumel, February 12, 2008.
Ground-Breaking Environment Agreement, January 23, 2008.
"Festival At Sea" Visits Cozumel, January 7, 2008.
Cozumel Cruise Conference, October 5, 2007.
World's Largest Cruise Ship To Visit, April 21, 2007.
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