And we also asked Vasquez about a report in today's Amandala that Royal Caribbean Cruise Line is crafting a business plan for the possible cruise port at the Port of Belize. That's a project that's been going from back burner to front burner since 2004 with no results, but now the Ashcroft Allied Waterloo group has resuscitated it. The article suggests that Royal Caribbean which currently owns half of the Fort Street Tourism Village would be involved in the business plan for the new cruise port. Today, Vasquez stressed that it's just an exploratory idea at this time:..
Arturo "Tux" Vasquez - CEO - Port of Belize
"It is not Royal Caribbean that is the partner. Waterloo is doing a business plan and working with the government of Belize to see what it would take to put a cruise docking facility. That's a requirement by the Prime Minister last year when he spoke to our company asking for us to see what it would take to do a cruise. So what we've been doing is we will be working on that business plan. Royal Caribbean is not a investor in that. Royal Caribbean is providing some expertise, giving us information as to the size of ships and that kind of thing."
Jules Vasquez, 7news
"So the being involve in some consultancy level, Royal Caribbean, wouldn't they be sort of have a leg up on the competition if a strategic investor is sought?"
Arturo "Tux" Vasquez - CEO - Port of Belize
"Well they have the option. But I can't tell you at this point that's not something that has been said by them. Well as you know they are the ones that do have the Tourist Village right now. Carnival, as you know some years ago were interested in doing one here, but that for some reason did not developed and I think I understand that Carnival has now done their investments down in Roatan. So I don't think that they are no longer interested here. Norwegian has done their thing down south, so I would think that if there is anybody who would be interested, it perhaps would be Royal Caribbean."
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