Mega-ship pier and luxury hotel to be constructed at Pier Park
Two major development projects to include a mega-ship pier and a luxury hotel will be constructed at the Cyril B. Romney Tortola Pier Park.
This according to Premier Andrew Fahie who said the BVI Ports Authority (BVIPA) is adapting to the evolution of the cruise industry, which is growing towards the facilitation of mega-sized cruise ships.
He said these mega-ships include the OASIS of the Seas – a $1.4 billion luxury vessel by Royal Caribbean that accommodates 6,300 passengers, and the recently-launched $950 million Excellence Class by Carnival Cruise Lines. It seats around 6,500 passengers.
“The BVIPA currently operates a single cruise pier at the Tortola Cruise Port. It is not capable of accommodating these larger, mega-sized cruise ships. Understandably, therefore, for the BVI to remain competitive and build resiliency in the Caribbean cruise sector, the development of a new pier must be a top priority,” Fahie said while delivering the Thursday’s budget address for the 2021 fiscal year.
“Therefore, the BVIPA is working diligently in the review of options to develop and operate a new mega-ship pier at the Tortola Cruise Port and other ancillary food, beverage and retail facilities at the Cyril B Romney Pier Park. In early October 2020, the BVIPA engaged the services of top cruise industry experts Bermello Ajamil and Partners, to assist the BVIPA in this endeavour,” he added.
Luxury hotel to accommodate anticipated high influx
Premier Fahie also said his government has bigger plans to boost local tourism. He said these plans are expected to result in a larger volume of tourist visiting the territory.
To accommodate these expected higher numbers, the BVIPA decided to set out plans to construct a new luxury hotel.
“The BVIPA issued an Expression of Interest for the development of a new luxury hotel and conference centre on a 27,281.12 square foot waterfront parcel in the Pier Park. Two companies were shortlisted to submit proposals to a subsequent Request for Proposal (RFP) that was issued. They include GPH and Meridian, a local Virgin Islands company,” Fahie stated.
Due to the challenges faced by the COVID-19 pandemic and a request made by one of the two companies, the BVIPA decided to extend the RFP submission deadline from October 2, to January 29 next year.
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Have mercy
Once again a next big talk and the government bankrupt
Andrew you really living in dream land boy
Ppl just have to laugh at you
Your ppl are starting some living on the street already cause there landlord put them out
And you just dreaming
Existing BVI hotels have a hard time attracting overnight guests due to the daily infestation of cruise ship guests. So a luxury hotel, in a far from luxurious in town location, next to a pier attracting hordes of tight fisted cruise guests who are jammed into safaris and sent out to an island whose infrastructure makes it a miracle to have water on a daily basis is this govts solution ?
Open the borders and let the virus in now. We need to stop this lunacy one way or another.
My God, I just do not know what to say anymore. It is worse than a horror show listening to the $hit that comes from our Government. I am not picking on one or the other, both parties are a disgrace with vision so short term it destroys the future of our people!
I could write page after page on what is wrong with this, and the new airport proposal. Just absolutely clueless!
For starters how about taking care of home first! Education, schools, Health and Social Services, infrastructure, environment, town planning, storm water drainage, the list can go on and on!
I guess I just do not understand anything anymore!
This is great news!
And it seems that UK Virgin Islanders, are the owners of this luxury hotel!
It is time that we have a few more higher-ended accomodations!
This is the way forward for our country, all thanks to the construction of the Pier Park!
De*****nal I***t
Many locally owned hotels and businesses are still waiting for our first stimulus check with no business since March. We are hurting bad. And Government is going to be so bold to announce this. The people need assistance. We need to fill our already established local hotels. We need help. This brings tears to my eyes. Wow! Unbelievable. What kind of man are you Mr.Fahie? Shame on you! You are defiantly a one term rep. My vote counts!
Do you want to kill tourism? Like you are deliberately trying with your reopening.
Do you want tourism to grow? Like this plan.
Which one is it. You can’t have both.
By the way… you’ll need expats to help out on this. So you gonna keep them locked out still?
I guess our days visiting the BVI are numbered. I can’t see myself fighting my way through 6,000 people just to walk down Cane Garden Bay beach.
I guess our days of regularly visiting the BVI are numbered. I can’t see myself fighting my way through 6,000 people just to walk down Cane Garden Beach. I realise the government has to encourage growth in the economy but there must be a limit. Imagine the roads with even more safaris on them.
This is such a bad idea. So very short sighted.
So many negatives here…
These are floating plagues ready to violate our shores, which part of this was not clear earlier this year?
It is so incredibly environmentally unsound, and to be honest, the sole and only economic benefit is that the cruise lines write a cheque to the Accountant General.
The island of Key West earlier this month voted to ban port calls for vessels carrying more than 1300 passengers, and made the maximum number of cruise ship passengers on shore each day 1500, while at the same time giving docking priority to cruise lines with good environmental records.
The Premier used to have my vote… Lately he’s gone way out of his way to make me vote for anyone else.
All that “unqualified for stimulus money”.
Always knew there was a plan for it
Some people heads are bigger than their body.
No vision all in the name of God
wow!! Pray people pray…
…. but isnt it better if the luxury ships and accomodations be done at a different location? Who mixes luxury with middle class.
It should be like a private doc for high end passengers with boutique shops and features and the regular dock for the average tourist…
Why not develop Prospect Reef seaside instead of by the Pier Park?
Reclaim more land outward and more to the West of it and make the marina side for more berths away from the wave action.
Prospect reef is already a free brotel, so where are people going to live when they move them from Prospect.
Did he mentioned prospect reef? That will be the more sensible place to put that hotel
Anybody see pigs flying recently? Where all of these hair brained schemes come from buddy?
Before YOU all spend any more $$$ at the cruise ship dock can the PASSENGERS and CARGO in Virgin Gorda be separated before someone is killed or seriously injured
Yea, invest in cruise ships. Bigger cruise ships. After COVID-19. There will be a Covid-20, Covide-21…
Why don’t we invest in floppy disk production? How about Space Invaders and Donkey Kong arcades?
We can have a big party! No Masks!
No Hospitals! Crappy Education for your kids! No community center for the youth! Crime and Drugs for everyone!
Can the UK please step in before this place goes tits up!?
Well I guess there’s his retirement fund right there, once they have creamed off the top aka pier park, hospital, walls etc etc.
You really think mega cruise ships are the answer, you are delusional at best!
And you might want to deal with the raw sewage running through town and tidy it up so it’s doesn’t look like a bombs hit it, you’re hardly exceeding tourists expectations
Bulls**t
Look at the survey of income generated from Cruise ships v High End tourists. High end generates 20 times the income of cruise ships with the spend per person. Cruise ships will hit the high end income. There is no benefit from more cruise ships apart from some small vested interests.
MEHSON STOP AYO F**K… FIX THE BLASTED ROAD DEM. How yuh goin bring tourist on these kiss me a** pathways ayo callin roads. FIX THE F**KIN ROADS.. Buh hotel wid ayo f**k.
Build smaller piers each for Anegada, Virgin Gorda and Jost. Target smaller ships and spread these people around the BVI.
A hotel at the Pier park is a bad idea. Why not just fix Prospect Reef?
If you’re going to have a cruise sector you need small ships, high end passengers with money. Not passengers who have paid $600 per week.
All your on island tourists are going to dessert the BVI and who can blame them.
I don’t understand why we need another dock. We are unable to handle the amount of passengers coming in now on cruise ships. And a hotel. The Government has already proven what a failure they are in the Hotel business. Built a luxury hotel for a crony to keep all the money in his/her pocket including Paye, Social Security and NHI). When is the Queen going to have mercy on us and come to take our country back.