LA ROMANA.-The remodeled La Romana Tourist Port was inaugurated yesterday by President Luis Abinader at the mouth of the Dulce River, built by the Central Romana company with an investment of over US$15 million.
During the event, the first Oasis-type cruise ship arrived at the port, which was expanded to allow the anchoring of the world's largest ships.
The Royal Caribbean cruise line's Odyssey of the Seas arrived with 4,699 tourists on board who went ashore to visit the attractions offered by the port.
The recreational areas were doubled for passengers, adding a swimming pool, themed bars and restaurants, shops and spaces where you can appreciate locally produced crafts.
In an effort to expand the port, the riverbed was dredged to achieve a depth of 12 meters, fenders and mooring lines were installed to increase compressive strength, and beams with additional piles were added to increase rigidity and resistance to lateral thrust from ships.
At the event, Abinader stated that this project was born with the idea of covering an important need regarding cruise tourism in our country.
"With the expansion of this terminal, we are providing La Romana with a cutting-edge cruise tourism offering in the Caribbean area, the best in the entire region," the governor emphasized.
History of the Port of La Romana
The Tourist Port of La Romana began operations in December 2002 and since then has become a multi-purpose port, where not only are "homeport" or mother port ships received, but also cruise ships with visitors and excursionists.
At the port, passengers can disembark and enjoy the attractions and beauty of this tourist destination. Over the past 20 years, the port has received approximately 2,150 cruise ships carrying more than five million vacationers, and it is estimated that the commercial and tourist activity of this cruise terminal has generated an economic impact exceeding 400 million rupees for the community of La Romana, the eastern region, and the country as a whole.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was led by the president, along with Ramón A. Menéndez, executive vice president of Central Romana; Pepe Fanjul Jr., president of the Executive Committee of Central Romana; David Collado, Minister of Tourism; Jean Luis Rodríguez, director of the Port Authority; and Luis Emilio Rodríguez, director of the Tourist Port of La Romana.
The event took place at the expanded port terminal, where some of the cruise passengers had the opportunity to take photos and selfies with President Luis Abinader.
