Cozumel Homeport?

[c-leg5]

https://www.travelpulse.com/news/cruise/could-royal-caribbean-find-new-homeport-in-cozumel-mexico.html
 

As far as I am aware they haven’t even started building the new port yet. Any further updates from TA’s?

[firefly333]

It says COULD find a home port there if by april cruising hasnt resumed. It said a company reached out to them, didnt say rcl.

[orville99]

Given how quickly anything gets built in Cozumel, it's probably good that the mayor didn't say which year the April home port is opening...🛳️

[c-leg5]

1 minute ago, orville99 said:

Given how quickly anything gets built in Cozumel, it's probably good that the mayor didn't say which year the April home port is opening...🛳️

I agree this is the more significant factor!

[c-leg5]

6 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

It says COULD find a home port there if by april cruising hasnt resumed. It said a company reached out to them, didnt say rcl.

I agree doesn't specifically say RCL although there is a comment on the statement by an RCL official. 
 

I think the fact the port hasn’t started to be built yet is a more critical factor for ANY cruise line wishing to homeport there, unless modifications can be made to existing port facilities. 
 

I believe TUI may have tried it in the past for an odd sailing? 

[sandebeach]

It's actually an interesting idea, since many people from the US are flying to All-inclusive resorts in Cancun and Cozumel currently for vacations (since they can not cruise). 

[Downdie]

2 hours ago, c-leg5 said:

I agree doesn't specifically say RCL although there is a comment on the statement by an RCL official. 
 

I think the fact the port hasn’t started to be built yet is a more critical factor for ANY cruise line wishing to homeport there, unless modifications can be made to existing port facilities. 
 

I believe TUI may have tried it in the past for an odd sailing? 

Hi c-leg5: We sailed from the central Puerto Maya dock in San Miguel Cozumel on a 850 passenger Spanish ship, the Gemini in Nov. 2010. Passengers were flown in from Madrid to Cozumel. They also boarded passengers the day before in Havana  So co home ports. The Gemini sailed a 7 day itinerary Cozumel,Grand Cayman, Isla Paraiso, Cuba and 2 nights Havana for the winter season until March. It only lasted one season, and it bankrupted the company. Not surprising, no US citizens could officially sail on it, but I do know that a number of American residents of Cozumel did sail on it.

[gatour]

I find it hard to believe that they will be building a whole new dock.

 

They will have to retrofit an existing dock to handle checking in new passengers and loading there luggage, along with taking on supplies

 

I am guessing the airport is on the mainland, so to add to the complexity, they will need to figure out how to get the passengers/luggage from the the airport to the island and ultimately to the ship.

 

Somehow I don't think this will happen by May 1st.

[Ourusualbeach]

2 hours ago, gatour said:

I find it hard to believe that they will be building a whole new dock.

 

They will have to retrofit an existing dock to handle checking in new passengers and loading there luggage, along with taking on supplies

 

I am guessing the airport is on the mainland, so to add to the complexity, they will need to figure out how to get the passengers/luggage from the the airport to the island and ultimately to the ship.

 

Somehow I don't think this will happen by May 1st.

There is an international airport on the Island 

[c-leg5]

4 hours ago, gatour said:

I find it hard to believe that they will be building a whole new dock.

 

They will have to retrofit an existing dock to handle checking in new passengers and loading there luggage, along with taking on supplies

 

I am guessing the airport is on the mainland, so to add to the complexity, they will need to figure out how to get the passengers/luggage from the the airport to the island and ultimately to the ship.

 

Somehow I don't think this will happen by May 1st.

I agree there is little chance it will  happen by May 1st this year.

There has certainly been an agreement to supposedly build a fourth pier near to the car ferry. When, or if, it will be built is anyone’s guess. 

 

There is definitely an International airport on the island (used it many times) but services have  been reduced in recent times and some people fly into Cancun and take the ferry from Playa..

Edited February 28, 2021 by c-leg5

[SG65CB]

RC is homeporting a ship in Barbados with no port visits to US ports, so Cozumel isn't a radical idea.

[orville99]

What I find more interesting than the concept of Cozumel actually being able to build something suitable as a home port any time soon is the statement in the article by Vicki Freed:

 

"Royal Caribbean senior vice president Vicki Freed said the test sailings mandated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have yet to be scheduled due to a lack of updates from the government.

“The reason you haven't heard anything is because we don't have dates yet,” Freed said during her weekly Coffee Chat with travel advisors. “We don't have any more information. But as soon as we do, I promise we will get that information to you.”

 

Bye Bye May, June, and July cruises.😪

[c-leg5]

19 hours ago, Downdie said:

Hi c-leg5: We sailed from the central Puerto Maya dock in San Miguel Cozumel on a 850 passenger Spanish ship, the Gemini in Nov. 2010. Passengers were flown in from Madrid to Cozumel. They also boarded passengers the day before in Havana  So co home ports. The Gemini sailed a 7 day itinerary Cozumel,Grand Cayman, Isla Paraiso, Cuba and 2 nights Havana for the winter season until March. It only lasted one season, and it bankrupted the company. Not surprising, no US citizens could officially sail on it, but I do know that a number of American residents of Cozumel did sail on it.

Hi! I don’t recall that one. On thinking further I think I was mistaken with TUI. I think the one I was thinking of was the Spanish cruise line, Pulmantur. The cruise may have originated in Progresso not Cozumel? It certainly began and ended in Mexico in recent years and someone wrote a review.

 

I believe there has been speculation that MSC has looked into doing itineraries like you took.

[Seville2Cabo]

22 hours ago, orville99 said:

Given how quickly anything gets built in Cozumel, it's probably good that the mayor didn't say which year the April home port is opening...🛳️

The Mexican government can usually do things pretty fast when the want to.  In Cabo, there was a G20 summit and they designed and built a brand new convention center in 7 months.  Probably 3 years in the US

[Baron Barracuda]

What ports could sailings from Cozumel visit?  Aren't most islands still closed?  Also skeptical about capabilities of local airport, availability of convenient nearby hotel accomodations, whether may US tourists would take the longer flight to Cozumel and how much extra those flights would cost.

[RD64]

The logistics of operating a turn around operation from Cozumel just do not exist. If there was any profit potential it would already be happening. The added cost of the airfare alone is enough to deter potential passengers.

[c-leg5]

1 hour ago, RD64 said:

The logistics of operating a turn around operation from Cozumel just do not exist. If there was any profit potential it would already be happening. The added cost of the airfare alone is enough to deter potential passengers.

obviously there are logistical problems to be worked out as with any new operation but I don’t see why airfare would necessarily be a problem, unless they normally drive to the port. 
 

It doesn't seem to stop people flying to San Juan, Florida, Seattle/Vancouver  under normal circumstances. 

[smokeybandit]

3 hours ago, Baron Barracuda said:

What ports could sailings from Cozumel visit?  Aren't most islands still closed?  Also skeptical about capabilities of local airport, availability of convenient nearby hotel accomodations, whether may US tourists would take the longer flight to Cozumel and how much extra those flights would cost.

 

Infrastructure may not be there, but it wouldn't be a longer flight for many people. 

 

 

[kccrzr]

15 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

 

Infrastructure may not be there, but it wouldn't be a longer flight for many people. 

 

 

Agree.  i could get to Cozumel faster and for less money than I can get to Barbados or San Juan.

[time4u2go]

I'm thinking provisioning would be an issue.  Everything would have to be either flown or ferried in.

[gatour]

22 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

There is an international airport on the Island 

But how big of aircraft can the airport handle?

 

I live near St Augustine Fl, and there is an airport there   Periodically there has been scheduled flights between it and the Bahamas, so technically it could be considered an "international airport? 

 

However the planes are in the turbo prop size.

 

How big of planes can the Cozumel airport handle?

 

Not trying to be snarking, just don't know.

[smokeybandit]

Cozumel can handle the typical short/medium haul planes like 737s and A320s.  All the major US airlines serve it

[c-leg5]

3 minutes ago, gatour said:

But how big of aircraft can the airport handle?

 

I live near St Augustine Fl, and there is an airport there   Periodically there has been scheduled flights between it and the Bahamas, so technically it could be considered an "international airport? 

 

However the planes are in the turbo prop size.

 

How big of planes can the Cozumel airport handle?

 

Not trying to be snarking, just don't know.

 Maybe check  out schedule

http://cozumel-airport.com/arrivals.cfm

 

There are reduced flights presently.

[Ourusualbeach]

13 minutes ago, gatour said:

But how big of aircraft can the airport handle?

 

I live near St Augustine Fl, and there is an airport there   Periodically there has been scheduled flights between it and the Bahamas, so technically it could be considered an "international airport? 

 

However the planes are in the turbo prop size.

 

How big of planes can the Cozumel airport handle?

 

Not trying to be snarking, just don't know.

Direct flights from Toronto, I’m guessing they aren’t turbo prop size 

[ONECRUISER]

12 hours ago, Baron Barracuda said:

What ports could sailings from Cozumel visit?  Aren't most islands still closed?  Also skeptical about capabilities of local airport, availability of convenient nearby hotel accomodations, whether may US tourists would take the longer flight to Cozumel and how much extra those flights would cost.

Other Mexican Ports with Sea Day or two would work... Though doubt Major Lines are going Home Port here