13-Sep-2002

President Vicente Fox, President of the United States of Mexico today (11/09/2002) officiated at the Official Opening of the first phase of the new cruise handling facilities at the Ensenada Cruiseport Village in Ensenada, Mexico.

The current facilities comprise 2 cruise ship berths and a 200 ship Marina. Future development will include a substantial commercial and tourism development, homeport facilities and the construction of a third cruise ship berth.

Current customers include the Carnival cruise ship ECSTASY which calls twice weekly on a 3 and 4 day cruise itinerary from California, as well as handling a number of homeport operations throughout the year for vessels transiting Hawaii and Alaska cruise itineraries.

During his welcoming remarks, Mike Power, Executive Director of Hutchison Ports Mexico, also announced that Royal Caribbean had confirmed that MONARCH OF THE SEAS will commence twice weekly calls at Ensenada Cruiseport Village by the Fall of 2003.

Accompanied by 4 Federal Government Ministers and the Governor of the State of Baja California, President Fox used the occasion to mark the anniversary of the events of September 11th, and led the specially invited audience of 200 in a minute’s silence to remember all of those who lost their lives in the tragic events of a year ago.