Jorge Barakat, minister for maritime affairs and administrator of the Panama Maritime Authority, said the area has a depth ranging from seven meters/23 feet to 12 meters/39 feet. It is sheltered from the direct impact of waves and offers views of Panama City and the coastline.
The government hopes such a facility would not only serve as a port of call but as a homeport, similar to the one at Colón on the Caribbean side. To attract cruise ships, the state would cover part of the toll for these vessels to transit the Panama Canal.
'The incentive would apply only to ships homeporting at Amador and would be analyzed with other state institutions to decide how it would be structured,' Barakat said.
The project envisions a 30-hectare/74-acre site for the port and 11.5 hectares to house port operations services, retail and entertainment.
The government plans to launch a tender for the port's design and construction, while the administration for the facility would be awarded in another tender. The administration tender would include the 11.5-hectare site for offices and commercial development.
Barakat said the only way to attract cruise lines is to build more infrastructure, and in his opinion Perico Island is suitable for a port. 'It is an area that has the depth necessary for these vessels,' he said.
The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association declined to comment on the plan, and Carnival Cruise Line's Carlos Torres de Navarra, vp commercial port operations, told Seatrade Cruise News Carnival doesn't know enough about the project to say anything now. A Holland America Line spokesman said HAL would 'review the options as it becomes a viable port option and determine if it makes sense for our itineraries and guest experience.'
Currently, cruise ships visiting Panama City tender passengers to Fuerte Amador, near Perico Island.
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