Cozumel’s largest cruise ship terminal, Puerta Maya, has been renovated with an investment of more than $50 million. Cruise ship company Carnival, the pier’s owners, announced last week that the new "cruise center" will officially re-open this Thursday.

Carnival Ecstasy arrives Thursday.

The cruise terminal and pier was badly damaged by Hurricane Wilma in October 2005.

Almost exactly 3 years later the new two-berth pier has been constructed to withstand a threshold category 5 hurricane.

Position of piers.

As well as the rebuilt pier, Carnival said that a new nine-acre "cruise center", with a wide variety of shops and restaurants, will also open, along with space for dozens of taxis and tour buses. Spokesman for Carnival, Giora Israel, said that Cozumel "is the region's most visited cruise ship destination" and that the re-opening would offer "easy and convenient access" to the island.

The first ships to visit the new Puerta Maya terminal on Thursday, October 16, 2008, will be the 2,052-passenger Carnival Ecstasy and 2,056-passenger Carnival Fantasy.

The Puerta Maya cruise terminal in Cozumel is property of Carnival cruise line's parent companies: Carnival Corporation and Carnival plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK).

Visit our tourist information section for more about Cozumel cruises.

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