Port at The Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor!

Hi Everyone,

I received this press release from the Bayonne Local Redevelopment
Authority and thought it would be of interest. If you have missed any
of my news' postings, they are available on my web site.

Best regards,
Ray
LIGHTHOUSE TRAVEL
800-719-9917 or 805-566-3905
http://www.lighthousetravel.com


Bayonne Local Redevelopment Authority (BLRA) Enters Agreement with
Royal Caribbean to Create Cruise Port at The Peninsula at Bayonne
Harbor

BAYONNE, N.J., Dec. 19
The Bayonne Local Redevelopment Authority (BLRA) Board of
Commissioners voted last night to enter into an agreement with Royal
Caribbean Cruises Ltd. to establish a cruise port at the former
Bayonne Military Ocean Terminal (MOTBY).

The agreement provides for a long-term lease that will allow Royal
Caribbean to develop a cruise port on a portion of the 430-acre
peninsula. The cruise port will be located along the north shore just
east of the Maritime Industrial District and west of a planned
waterfront park that will offer unobstructed views of the Statue of
Liberty, lower Manhattan and the Verrazano Bridge.

The new facility will serve as a seasonal homeport to two Royal
Caribbean International ships, including one of the world's largest
cruise ships, the 3,114-passenger Voyager of the Seas, which makes her
New York metro area debut in May 2004.

The cruise port will feature a passenger terminal, ship berths,
Customs and INS facilities, visitor parking, bus and taxi areas, as
well as access to public transportation including ferry service and
Light Rail.

"We are thrilled that Royal Caribbean discovered what a great place
Bayonne is to do business," said Bayonne Mayor Joseph V. Doria, Jr.
"This agreement represents the first significant achievement following
the BLRA's announced public-private cooperative venture with Fidelco
Bayonne Realty and one of many exciting announcements we expect to
make in the coming year."

According to BLRA Chairman Howard Fitch, "This was truly a team
effort. Our congratulations go to the BLRA staff and to our partners
at Fidelco Bayonne Realty whose professional expertise helped make
this deal happen."

Marc E. Berson, a principal of Fidelco Bayonne Realty, said this deal
is "just the beginning" of what is possible when the public and
private sector work together as true partners. "Our public-private
partnership is already working the way we had envisioned it. We look
forward to building on this success in the months ahead."

"We are extremely pleased to be working with the BLRA and to be able
to cement our presence in the market at such an ideal location, both
for our expanded operations and the convenience of our guests," said
Adam Goldstein, executive vice president, Royal Caribbean.

The Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor is a man-made peninsula that extends
two miles into Upper New York Harbor.

"Our agreement with Royal Caribbean will help Bayonne move forward in
achieving the goal of replacing jobs lost -- as a result of the
closure of the base," said Maria Karczewski, BLRA Commissioner and
City Council member.

"There has already been tremendous progress at The Peninsula at
Bayonne Harbor," said Vincent Lo Re, Jr., BLRA Commissioner and City
Council president. "But this agreement with Royal Caribbean is proof
positive that we can and will attract high-caliber businesses to The
Peninsula."

Royal Caribbean will operate out of existing structures for the
immediate future. Long-term plans call for construction of a new
cruise terminal and supporting facilities. Royal Caribbean Cruises
Ltd. is a global cruise vacation company that operates Royal Caribbean
International and Celebrity Cruises, with a combined total of 27 ships
in service and two under construction or on firm order.

Ships carried goods from the MOTBY terminal for every US military
operation from World War II to the Persian Gulf, Somalia and Haiti
missions in the 1990s. At its peak, MOTBY employed about 3,000
civilians and US Army personnel and handled more than 1 million tons
of cargo each year.

The Bayonne Local Redevelopment Authority was created in 1998 to
redevelop the former military base which today stands as the largest
tract of undeveloped land in the New York metropolitan area. Future
plans for The Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor call for a vibrant mixed-use
waterfront development comprised of residential, light industrial and
office space, film studios, a riverwalk and numerous recreational
areas with parks and playgrounds.

For more information, please contact Jessica Barnes at (201) 451-3444.

Hi Everyone,

I received this press release from Royal Caribbean on this subject.
If you have missed any of my news' postings, they are available on my
web site.

Best regards,
Ray
LIGHTHOUSE TRAVEL
800-719-9917 or 805-566-3905
http://www.lighthousetravel.com


Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Signs Agreement To Develop Cruise Port In
New Jersey

Cruise Line to Sail Two Ships from Bayonne Site in Spring/Summer 2004

MIAMI, Dec. 19
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has signed a letter agreement with the
Bayonne Local Redevelopment Authority (BLRA) to construct and operate
a new cruise port facility at the former Bayonne Military Ocean
Terminal in New Jersey. The new facility will serve as a seasonal
homeport to two Royal Caribbean International ships, including one of
the world's largest cruise ships, the 3,114-passenger Voyager of the
Seas, which makes her New York metro area debut in May 2004.

"We are extremely pleased to cement this new relationship as we expand
our presence in the Northeast next year," said Adam Goldstein,
executive vice president, for Royal Caribbean. "We've found an ideal
site on New York Harbor, which provides the space to comfortably and
efficiently handle one of our largest ships. It is also easily
accessible and very convenient for guests coming in from throughout
the New York metro area and the extended drive- market region, as well
as for those arriving by air. All of this allows us to provide an
outstanding embarkation experience for our guests."

"We are thrilled that Royal Caribbean discovered what a great place
Bayonne is to do business," said Bayonne Mayor Joseph V. Doria, Jr.
"This marks another exciting milestone in the redevelopment of The
Peninsula."

The former Bayonne Military Ocean Terminal, now renamed The Peninsula
at Bayonne Harbor, is a 430-acre, man-made peninsula that extends into
New York Harbor. Future plans for The Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor call
for a vibrant mixed-use waterfront development comprised of
residential, light industrial and office space, film studios, a
riverwalk and extensive recreational and park areas.

The new cruise port will be located at the northeast corner of the
peninsula, offering unobstructed views of the Statue of Liberty and
the Manhattan skyline. Royal Caribbean will operate out of existing
structures for the immediate future. Long-term plans call for
construction of a new cruise terminal and supporting facilities. The
cruise port will be named in early 2004.

The peninsula is located just off the New Jersey Turnpike,
approximately 15 minutes from the Newark airport. A nearby Light Rail
service connects to both PATH and Amtrak train lines. In addition,
Royal Caribbean is looking into offering ferry service from Manhattan
to the cruise port.

Royal Caribbean will base two ships from the Royal Caribbean
International brand at the new port from May through October 2004.
Voyager of the Seas offers an alternating schedule of five-night
Canada and nine-night Caribbean cruises. Nordic Empress offers
alternating six-night and eight-night Bermuda itineraries. The
company's Celebrity Cruises brand also will return to the area, with
two ships sailing from the New York City Passenger Ship Terminal in
Manhattan. Bookings on all ships are open for sale.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is a global cruise vacation company that
operates Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises, with a
combined total of 27 ships in service and two under construction or on
firm order. The company also offers unique cruisetour vacations in
Alaska, Canada and Europe. Additional information can be found by
contacting your travel professional.

Ray Goldenberg wrote:



Royal Caribbean will base two ships from the Royal Caribbean
International brand at the new port from May through October 2004.
Voyager of the Seas offers an alternating schedule of five-night
Canada and nine-night Caribbean cruises. Nordic Empress offers
alternating six-night and eight-night Bermuda itineraries. The
company's Celebrity Cruises brand also will return to the area, with
two ships sailing from the New York City Passenger Ship Terminal in
Manhattan. Bookings on all ships are open for sale.


It says 2 Celebrity ships will sail from Bayonne.

If only the Zenith is going to Bermuda from NYC (with Horizon leaving
from Philly) then maybe we're getting another Celebrity ship in NYC.
That would be GREAT for all of us NY area Celebrity fans if it happens.
I'd love to have a Millie ship here.

Of course... this is gonna mess up our Liberty State Park trips big
time. We're gonna have to find another spot to go ship watching in the
park.

--Tom

now this would be great!!!

--
Sheree
"Tom & Linda" wrote in message
...


Ray Goldenberg wrote:



Royal Caribbean will base two ships from the Royal Caribbean
International brand at the new port from May through October 2004.
Voyager of the Seas offers an alternating schedule of five-night
Canada and nine-night Caribbean cruises. Nordic Empress offers
alternating six-night and eight-night Bermuda itineraries. The
company's Celebrity Cruises brand also will return to the area, with
two ships sailing from the New York City Passenger Ship Terminal in
Manhattan. Bookings on all ships are open for sale.


It says 2 Celebrity ships will sail from Bayonne.

If only the Zenith is going to Bermuda from NYC (with Horizon leaving
from Philly) then maybe we're getting another Celebrity ship in NYC.
That would be GREAT for all of us NY area Celebrity fans if it happens.
I'd love to have a Millie ship here.

Of course... this is gonna mess up our Liberty State Park trips big
time. We're gonna have to find another spot to go ship watching in the
park.

--Tom

In article , Tom & Linda
wrote:

Of course... this is gonna mess up our Liberty State Park trips big
time. We're gonna have to find another spot to go ship watching in the
park.

So how does one get to Bayonne? I guess it would be a short cab ride
from Newark Airport? So I could take a train from Washington, get off
at Newark Airport, take the Airtain to the terminals and a cab to
Bayonne, right?

--
Charles

In article , Ray Goldenberg
wrote:

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Signs Agreement To Develop Cruise Port In
New Jersey

Cruise Line to Sail Two Ships from Bayonne Site in Spring/Summer 2004

This seems to make more sense to me than a cruise terminal in Brooklyn.
Wasn't it Carnival proposing that? I think the RCI site comes out
ahead.

--
Charles

i believe there's a path train as well

--
Sheree


"Charles" wrote in message
d...
In article , Tom & Linda
wrote:

Of course... this is gonna mess up our Liberty State Park trips big
time. We're gonna have to find another spot to go ship watching in the
park.

So how does one get to Bayonne? I guess it would be a short cab ride
from Newark Airport? So I could take a train from Washington, get off
at Newark Airport, take the Airtain to the terminals and a cab to
Bayonne, right?

--
Charles

"Charles" wrote in message
d...
In article , Ray Goldenberg
wrote:

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Signs Agreement To Develop Cruise Port In
New Jersey

Cruise Line to Sail Two Ships from Bayonne Site in Spring/Summer 2004

This is a real shame. It means we do not get the view of the NYC skyline as
we sail, since Bayonne is well south of the tip of Manhattanm Island. All
we get is a view of the tip of the island. This was aleways one of the great
pleasures in sailing in and out of NYC. I will really miss it on the
Voyager next summer. Oh well, at least the parking will be cheaper, (I hope)

Ira J. Scheer

Only ONE problem. Shore traffic.

There's never any traffic with Liberty State Park

--Tom

Karen Segboer aka CupCaked wrote:

Tom & Linda wrote:

Of course... this is gonna mess up our Liberty State Park trips big
time. We're gonna have to find another spot to go ship watching in the
park.

Try Sandy Hook State Park. Penny can run on the beach, and you can
watch the ships go by, although farther out at sea.

Karen

__ /7__/7__/7__
\::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

http://www.cupcaked.com/reviews
(...and leave off the "potatoes" to e-mail)

Hi Everyone,

Industry sources are saying that, as of now the plans are for
Celebrity will continue to sail from New York City for the Bermuda
runs in 2004. The Royal Caribbean ships will be sailing from Bayonne.

Best regards,
Ray
LIGHTHOUSE TRAVEL
800-719-9917 or 805-566-3905
http://www.lighthousetravel.com