Which Dock

[jned]

Does anyone know the name of the dock the Freedom of the Seas uses on St. Maarten?

[The Big Booper]

Originally Posted by jned

Does anyone know the name of the dock the Freedom of the Seas uses on St. Maarten?

All the big ships dock in Phillipsburg, at the AC Wathey pier complex, on the Dutch side. The new Oasis will have a separate pier at the complex which I guess can be used by other ships when the big boy is not there.

[Ashland]

Does anyone know if only RCCL ships will be using the new pier for the Oasis when she is not in port..and if more than one RCCL ship is there how will it be determined ? I know that it is not on a first come basis.... Per my conversation with Cpt. Trym Selvag while on our Alaska cruise when I asked him this question.

[The Big Booper]

Originally Posted by Ashland

Does anyone know if only RCCL ships will be using the new pier for the Oasis when she is not in port..and if more than one RCCL ship is there how will it be determined ? I know that it is not on a first come basis.... Per my conversation with Cpt. Trym Selvag while on our Alaska cruise when I asked him this question.

My understanding is that the current pier is too shallow for the Oasis so that SXM had to build a new pier and dredge deep enough for the ship to dock. So Oasis should always have priority there. No track record on who can use the new pier and if it will be limited to RCCL Corp. ships. (RCI, =X=, Azamara)

[zqvol]

Just be aware that the two piers are rigth next to each other and that even with both piers when there are lots of ships in port some may have to anchor and tender as has happened in the past.

[gtaylor]

Originally Posted by Ashland

Does anyone know if only RCCL ships will be using the new pier for the Oasis when she is not in port.. <snip>

The first ship docking at the new pier was the Carnival Glory, christening the (as yet unnamed) pier on St. Maarten Day, November 11th, with the other ships in port blasting their ship's horns.

Carnival and Royal Caribbean have made major loans and on-going passenger load commitments to the St. Maarten Port Authority to finance the new pier, and have first berthing rights.

The Oasis is scheduled to call on December 9th. I would expect lots of photos to be available.

gary

[jtutak]

Originally Posted by gtaylor

The first ship docking at the new pier was the Carnival Glory, christening the (as yet unnamed) pier on St. Maarten Day, November 11th, with the other ships in port blasting their ship's horns.

Carnival and Royal Caribbean have made major loans and on-going passenger load commitments to the St. Maarten Port Authority to finance the new pier, and have first berthing rights.

The Oasis is scheduled to call on December 9th. I would expect lots of photos to be available.

gary

Are you sure, according to the Diamond Concierge (Amit) aboard the Freedom of the Seas the FOS docked there on Nov 11.

[gtaylor]

Originally Posted by jtutak

Are you sure, according to the Diamond Concierge (Amit) aboard the Freedom of the Seas the FOS docked there on Nov 11.

Pretty sure.

The local newspaper, The Daily Herald, had a front page blurb linking to a major article "New Mega Ship Pier", about the event:


(click)

Blowup:



The Port Authority schedule shows the Freedom of the Seas arriving the next day. As does the schedule posted in the newspaper.



But if you have a connection with the Diamond Concierge aboard the Freedom of the Seas, feel free to run the facts by them.

gary