Carnival Corporation’s Amber Cove cruise terminal will welcome its first guests from October 6.
The $85 million development will be served by six Carnival cruise brands marking a return for the Dominican Republic’s north Amber Coast as a regular cruise stop for the first time since the 1980s.
Carnival Victory will be the first ship to visit on October 6, followed by 57 calls by 13 different ships across Carnival six brands between October 2015 and April 2016.
The port is strategically located to be incorporated into future itineraries featuring Cuba, the cruise line said.
Progress of port construction has been overseen partly by the deployment of low flying drones and more than 250,000 cruise passengers are expected in its first year of operation.
"The construction of the cruise port at Amber Cove has been an incredible project for our entire country, as well as the Caribbean region as a whole," said Francisco Javier, tourism director of the Dominican Republic.
"Carnival Corporation’s investment in Amber Cove has already proven beneficial to the economy, and we expect the investment to have a positive long-lasting economic impact. The new port will also give cruise passengers an opportunity to see another part of the Dominican Republic, our Amber Coast, which hasn’t been available as part of cruise itineraries in nearly 30 years."
Amber Cove features a welcome center with retail outlets including a marketplace for Dominican arts and crafts.
The port also has a recreation area with a pool and splash zone, and transportation hub linking surrounding towns and attractions.
