Official Groundbreaking Ceremony for Home Cruise Port

[maria alemany]

It was an amazing event. We are very excited for Rocky Point/ Puerto Penasco and the State of Sonora..
Great things to come.. Will post pick later.. Or you can connect with me on facebook maria alemany

 

[dry heat]

the acropolis had some priceless quotes "you have a 360 degree view". I have to laugh at this one, of course you are going to have a 360 view of something (a wall, land, etc). A bedroom has a 360 degree view of something.
"it seems sturdy" as the couple goes up the "tower". hahaha.
So many purchased on borrowed debt back then. Sad. I just hope that this cruise port truly benefits the local economy.

 

[Crowbar1]

the acropolis had some priceless quotes "you have a 360 degree view". I have to laugh at this one, of course you are going to have a 360 view of something (a wall, land, etc). A bedroom has a 360 degree view of something.
"it seems sturdy" as the couple goes up the "tower". hahaha.
So many purchased on borrowed debt back then. Sad. I just hope that this cruise port truly benefits the local economy.

Of course it will benefit the local economy. people will come in a day or 2 before the cruise, stay somewhere, eat somewhere, shop somewhere and buy gas to go home. maybe stay a day or 2 after....not to mention all the food and fuel that has to go on a cruise ship.

 

[Mexico Joe]

I was under the impression that in the Mexican culture the WORKERS come from other parts of Mexico. When the condos were being built I was under the impression that a lot of the WORKERS came from Chiapas and southern Mexico. Can anyone verify this? This is one of the main arguments against the so called, "... it's good for the people of Penasco..." rhetoric. Just like the airport and the condos would help the citizens of RP right?! Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Yea, if you're lucky enough to work at Wrecked at the Reef or Boo Bar, somewhere decent where Americans actually TIP. That's a handful of jobs maybe. What about the 200 employees that got LET GO from Las Palomas about 3 winters ago now? They definitely benefited from the condos.... SMH.

Like Crowbar1, perfect example of blind optimism. Thinking that people are going to stay potentially 4 extra nights on top of the cruise they just took for 7 days. Furthermore, ESPECIALLY if this is the target market of DOMESTIC TOURISM, it's hard for me to believe that the TARGET MARKET has the discretionary spending to be able to afford 1-4 extra nights on top of the money spent on air fair and or driving fair and price of the cruise. It just seems like a stretch. Especially given the fact of DOMESTIC TOURISM TRENDS in RP. We know from Semana Santa that the DOMESTIC TOURISM doesn't use the bars, restaurants and shops.

I guess it must be nice to be an IDEALIST because we sure have quite a few of them on this forum. Unfortunately for me, I'm a REALIST, you know, someone grounded in reality.

 

[Crowbar1]

I was under the impression that in the Mexican culture the WORKERS come from other parts of Mexico. When the condos were being built I was under the impression that a lot of the WORKERS came from Chiapas and southern Mexico. Can anyone verify this? This is one of the main arguments against the so called, "... it's good for the people of Penasco..." rhetoric. Just like the airport and the condos would help the citizens of RP right?! Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Yea, if you're lucky enough to work at Wrecked at the Reef or Boo Bar, somewhere decent where Americans actually TIP. That's a handful of jobs maybe. What about the 200 employees that got LET GO from Las Palomas about 3 winters ago now? They definitely benefited from the condos.... SMH.

Like Crowbar1, perfect example of blind optimism. Thinking that people are going to stay potentially 4 extra nights on top of the cruise they just took for 7 days. Furthermore, ESPECIALLY if this is the target market of DOMESTIC TOURISM, it's hard for me to believe that the TARGET MARKET has the discretionary spending to be able to afford 1-4 extra nights on top of the money spent on air fair and or driving fair and price of the cruise. It just seems like a stretch. Especially given the fact of DOMESTIC TOURISM TRENDS in RP. We know from Semana Santa that the DOMESTIC TOURISM doesn't use the bars, restaurants and shops.

I guess it must be nice to be an IDEALIST because we sure have quite a few of them on this forum. Unfortunately for me, I'm a REALIST, you know, someone grounded in reality.

I didn't mean 4 nights altogether, I meant maybe 1 or 2 before, or, maybe 1 or 2 days after. BTW, who do you think is driving all those dump trucks full of rocks to help build the pier? Its all locals, anyone with a dump truck ready to work was given a contract, or so I was told. more restaurants and clubs will come to make money off the travelers, locals will surely take up those ranks. who do you think got jobs in the walmart and sams club and autozone when they came, surely l0cals. of course it will attract job seekers from other areas, that will always happen, but the peeps who come to RP for the first time and try the cruise may just want to buy a place, or come back in their RV many more times, gaining more $$ into the local economy.

after going to RP for more than 20 plus years between me and my better half, we were finally able to buy a place last year. but, we decided that we didn't want to be near sandy beach because if and when the cruises happen, it will probably be a zoo around there the day of the cruise and the termination of the cruise. On the other side of town the beach is way better anyway and that's what we like, the beach.

 

[Terry C]

It would be great if the workers in RP could be part of all this. Did you see the line a few years ago of everyone lined up looking for a construction job at the Walmart and then Sam's? They brought there own people in to do it.
Sad IMO.

 

[jerry]

"after going to RP for more than 20 plus years between me and my better half, we were finally able to buy a place last year. but, we decided that we didn't want to be near sandy beach because if and when the cruises happen, it will probably be a zoo around there the day of the cruise and the termination of the cruise. On the other side of town the beach is way better anyway and that's what we like, the beach."
Crowbar1, 27 minutes agoReport
This is the thing that kills me about the yankee cheerleading for the Port.Deep down everone knows it is bad for the environment,will be a strain on the towns roads and utilities and make the condo experience probematic but hey full speed ahead.
Good thinking living elsewhere.....living by that homeport will be hellish if it gets off the ground.Plus if a big hotel is built the condos will go unrented.
Joe the construction jobs for the highly skilled and the lowest laborers went to out of towners.The locals are from fishermen stock.They can't be treated like dogs by some Chickenshat boss from elsewhere that is used to and expects Mexican workers to kiss his boots.Because of this they were viewed with suspension and derided by the real estate shat heads.They also would not agree to under the table employment contracts that kept them from getting severance when the job ends.These over the top payments are a problem in some ways and caused a lot of the hiring abuses.

 

[mexicoruss]

I took this picture of part of the dozens employed as part of the safety crew, these are all locals and they told me that they are glad to have this job and yes they are being paid. Don't they look forlorn and abused? They are proud to be a part of this project because of what it means for them right now.

 

[jerry]

Just answered Joes question about hiring in thee last boom..glad these guys are getting work...wish they would be building basic infrastructure projects and housing stock for the people of Penasco.
Are they employed by a company,the state or under the table?

 

[mexicoruss]

They are paid by the general contractor of the project as part of the project from what they told me. The GC was at the meeting the other day and spoke for a few minutes even though he was not on the platform with the State dignitaries. It was a proper meeting not just a bunch of handshakes and back patting, these guys (State and Federal Managers) show unity and pride in this project.

 

[jerry]

They are paid by the general contractor of the project as part of the project from what they told me. The GC was at the meeting the other day and spoke for a few minutes even though he was not on the platform with the State dignitaries. It was a proper meeting not just a bunch of handshakes and back patting, these guys (State and Federal Managers) show unity and pride in this project.

That is good news..thanks Russ. As for the crap shoot as a whole: http://www.cruiselawnews.com/2013/11/articles/caribbean-islands/new-cruise-terminals-piers-a-risky-business/. My hope is they do not land the big ships but land the pocket cruise ships...Belize just denied a homeport for the south and it's experts wrote this:
"Pocket cruise tourism is the only acceptable form of cruise tourism on the south eastern coast of Belize". The report went on to define "pocket" cruise ships as those with less than 250 passengers. NCL's ships now coming to Belize carry over 2,000 passengers and those of other lines that are likely to be using this new port facility are even larger.

 

[mis2810]

They are paid by the general contractor of the project as part of the project from what they told me. The GC was at the meeting the other day and spoke for a few minutes even though he was not on the platform with the State dignitaries. It was a proper meeting not just a bunch of handshakes and back patting, these guys (State and Federal Managers) show unity and pride in this project.

Russ, by GC are you talking about Bermello Ajamil y Partners? Or is it another company?

 

[jerry]

Miami-based Bermello Ajamil & Partners created the master plan for a facility, which is being called a major milestone since very few ports are built from scratch anywhere in the world.

Puerto Peñasco potentially opens an itinerary that doesn't currently exist, and Mexico is building it purely with their own funds, according to B&A principal Luis Ajamil.

The facility will begin with a single, 400-meter berth and a terminal, with the potential to expand to two or three berths—though that is optimistic, Ajamil said. The terminal will be integrated into a developing touristic area.

For or against it it really is a big deal....how this came about must be a great story

 

[mis2810]

So is Bermello Ajamil the GC? They call them a consortium.

 

[playaperro]

This Mega Project is going to run 24 hours a day, How far out is it going out? Nothing but the best for the homeport!

 

[Terry C]

1/2 mile South and 1/4 mile West. Or visa versa

 

[Roberto]

What with the street work on Ocana and Benito Juarez plus the Home port stuff, every Dumpe in Penasco should be haulin. I've seen a couple of rigs that looked like they were dragged from the wrecking yard and revived !!

 

[mexicoruss]

What with the street work on Ocana and Benito Juarez plus the Home port stuff, every Dumpe in Penasco should be haulin. I've seen a couple of rigs that looked like they were dragged from the wrecking yard and revived !!

I quit throwing stuff away totally too, you never know when you may need it.......

 

[Landshark]

What with the street work on Ocana and Benito Juarez plus the Home port stuff, every Dumpe in Penasco should be haulin. I've seen a couple of rigs that looked like they were dragged from the wrecking yard and revived !!

That's a scary thought. Brakes?? We don't need no stinkin brakes!!!

 

[Crowbar1]

That is good news..thanks Russ. As for the crap shoot as a whole: http://www.cruiselawnews.com/2013/11/articles/caribbean-islands/new-cruise-terminals-piers-a-risky-business/. My hope is they do not land the big ships but land the pocket cruise ships...Belize just denied a homeport for the south and it's experts wrote this:
"Pocket cruise tourism is the only acceptable form of cruise tourism on the south eastern coast of Belize". The report went on to define "pocket" cruise ships as those with less than 250 passengers. NCL's ships now coming to Belize carry over 2,000 passengers and those of other lines that are likely to be using this new port facility are even larger.

We were on a cruise last march that had Belize as one of the stops. Its my impression that the water is too shallow for too long of a way to actually make cruise ships docks at the town. when we were taking the tender to shore (about 5 miles away) you could count about 6 ships there with us. You could see how shallow it was. I guessing its too big of a job to dredge out a channel that far, but its through that barrier reef of theirs and probably another reason why they wouldn't dredge there. I think our cruise ship drafted about 36 feet.
My guess is they will use smaller ships in RP also, I would guess ones that could carry at least 1000 guests, but thats just my guess. I've heard there were 4 lines that agreed to run here. I'm game and would love to try it.