The $62 million Mahogany Bay Cruise Center at Roatan in the Bay Islands officially opened this week and began welcoming cruise ships. The Yachts of Seabourn's' 208 passenger Seabourn Legend arrived on Saturday, Nov. 28th, followed by Princess Cruises' 3,070 passenger Crown Princess on Tuesday. Carnival Cruise Lines' 2,974 passenger Carnival Valor was in port Thursday.
More than five years in development, and two years under construction, Mahogany Bay Cruise Center encompasses 20 acres of waterfront property and includes a two-berth cruise terminal which can accommodate up to 8,000 passengers daily. It is a joint project of Carnival Corporation & plc and Roatan businessman Jerry Hynds.
This week's ship visits are the first of 200 annual ship calls at the new facility, which is expected to host more than 500,000 passengers each year. In addition to the Yachts of Seabourn, Carnival Cruise Lines, and Princess Cruises, vessels from Holland America, Costa Cruises, and P&O Cruises, as well as non-Carnival Corporation brands, are expected to call at the new facility.
The Mahogany Bay Cruise Center offers a welcome center along with a variety of retail outlets, including two themed bars, a restaurant and several shops. A transportation hub with the ability to accommodate taxis, rental cars and tour buses, along with a range of shore excursion opportunities, which can be purchased on board the cruise vessels, are also available.
Unique to Mahogany Bay is a new chair lift system that takes cruise ship guests from the welcome center to Mahogany Beach, a 10 acre private island featuring an 825 foot long white sand beach with a beach volleyball court and watersports opportunities. Eight cabanas are also available for rent.
The "Magical Flying Beach Chair" takes guests on a six-minute ride across nearly 1,200 feet of suspended cables, providing access to the beach and views of the countryside as well. All-day passes for the beach chair lift are $5 per person. An elevated path is also available for those who prefer to walk.
