With the impending arrival of the Quantum of the Seas to the Cape Liberty Cruise Terminal in Bayonne, Royal Caribbean has requested permission to fund a complete renovation to the terminal in order to support the new ship, and these plans have now been granted approval by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
The newest ship of the Royal Caribbean fleet, the Quantum of the Seas will be based in Bayonne, but the current terminal would not be sufficient to handle the ship and the influx of passengers that it would bring. While the terminal is currently home to a number of ships, including Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas, the Quantum will carry 4,180 passengers, a number that would place too much strain on the port as it is.
The new terminal will include a 36,000-square-foot terminal for passenger check-in, parking areas and a 60,000-square-foot luggage area. It’s believed to cost between $50 million and $70 million for the renovations, with work beginning shortly and due to be complete in October 2014, a month before the launch of the Quantum of the Seas.
As part of the agreement, the Port Authority have also agreed to extend the operating agreement for the terminal for Royal Caribbean for another five years, extending the current deal to 2043.
Port Authority Deputy Executive Director Bill Baroni said “This new lease extension will bring to Bayonne one of the most modern cruise terminals in the country. Royal Caribbean is going to invest $50 million in the new terminal and two parking facilities for people going out of Bayonne.
“This new terminal will help create jobs in construction and will have a long term economic benefits on our region. When a ship like this calls a port, that ship brings about $1 million a trip to the city in local economic activity. Once completed, the terminal is expected to bring in 600,000 people every year.”
By Ian Lewis
Google
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