Ship Ahoy.PANAMA RAKES IN UPWARDS OF US$160,000 EACH time ships such as Rhapsody of the Seas Rhapsody of the Seas is a Vision Class cruise ship for Royal Caribbean International. She sails Western Caribbean itineraries year-round out of ports along the Gulf Coast. Onboard amenities include a full-service spa, two swimming pools, six bars, a pizzeria, and an ice-cream glide through the Panama Canal Panama Canal, waterway across the Isthmus of Panama, connecting the Atlantic (by way of the Caribbean Sea) and Pacific oceans, built by the United States (1904–14) on territory leased from the republic of Panama. . That's a big chunk of revenue, seeing as how nearly 300 cruise vessels make the transit annually. In spite of this, Panama has been missing the boat. A dearth of cruise piers and tourist attractions, plus a problem with street crime, has discouraged those megaships from sending passengers ashore. Until now. Two new piers debuted in Colon in October. A third, on the Pacific coast near Panama City Panama City, city (1990 pop. 34,378), seat of Bay co., NW Fla., on St. Andrews Bay; inc. 1909. A Gulf Coast resort with amusement parks and excellent fishing, it is also a port of entry. The city's industries produce paper, clothing, and chemicals. , opens Feb. 12. Corporacion de Costas Tropicales has pumped $45 million into Colon 2000, a pier, cruise terminal and mall. A 150-room Radisson hotel and casino is going up. And 60 ship calls from lines like Carnival, Celebrity and Princess are booked through May. A few miles away, Panama Ports Co., a member of Hutchison Port Holdings, has converted a deepwater pier to accommodate two megaships. Cruise executives view Cristobal Cruise Terminal Pier 6 as a spillover spill·o·ver n. 1. The act or an instance of spilling over. 2. An amount or quantity spilled over. 3. A side effect arising from or as if from an unpredicted source: facility. "Eventually there will be enough traffic to support both," predicts John Tercek, Royal Caribbean's vice president. On the Pacific coast, meanwhile, the $30 million Fort Amador Fort Amador and Fort Grant were former United States Army bases protecting the Pacific (southern) end of the Panama Canal at the Panama Bay. Amador was the primary on-land site, lying below the Bridge of the Americas. Cruise Port plans include a cruise berth, shopping plaza and 120-suite Sol Melia hotel/timeshare. |
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