MIAMI, April 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/
-- Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE:
CUK), the world's largest leisure travel company, celebrated the
official grand opening of Rainforest Adventure's Rockland Estate
eco-park attraction April 11 in
St. Maarten. To mark the occasion,
a ceremony was attended by esteemed government officials, including
Prime Minister Leona Romeo-Marlin
and Governor Dr. Eugene Holiday, as
well as Rainforest Adventures
president Josef Preschel and key
Carnival Corporation officials, including David Candib, vice president of development and
operations for the global port and destination development
group.
With financing from Carnival Corporation and built by Rainforest
Adventures, Rockland Estate is a one-of-a-kind attraction expected
to quickly become one of the most popular in the Caribbean. It has something for everyone –
thrill-seeking adventures, including the world's steepest zip line
and a mountain chair lift with breathtaking views and a
heart-racing tube ride, as well as a museum that showcases the rich
history and culture of St. Maarten
and its people. Guests from eight of Carnival Corporation's brands
with itineraries visiting the island will have the opportunity to
experience the new shore excursion, recently named by USA Today 10Best as a top Caribbean attraction.
"We are proud to be part of the Rockland Estate development, and
we are excited that this new attraction will surely become a
bucket-list item for visitors to the island, whether they're
looking to take in incredible views, experience one-of-a-kind rides
or gain perspective on the rich history and culture of the island,"
said David Candib, vice president of
development and operations for the global port and destination
development group at Carnival Corporation. "St. Maarten is already a beloved destination
by guests across our eight cruise line brands that visit the
island, and we're confident that Rockland Estate will create an
even more compelling reason to visit the country on a cruise
vacation."
Rockland Estate is considered an eco-adventure park
committed to preserving native eco-systems while ensuring the
sustainability of the estate's physical and intangible attributes.
The overall goal of the Rainforest Adventures team in building the
attraction was to enhance and preserve St. Maarten's natural and built environments
and endorse its cultural and historical significance, while also
promoting education through adventure.
Said Preschel, president of Rainforest Adventures: "In
constructing the park, one of our goals was to uphold our
commitment to environmental conservation, with less than five
percent of the Emilio Wilson Estate impacted by the new Rockland
Estate eco-adventure park. Our other key goal is to educate
visitors on the importance of ongoing conservation in this area and
to celebrate local history and culture, while also providing
thrilling rides and relaxing activities."
"St. Maarten continues to be
one of the Caribbean's most
popular vacation destinations, and providing new offerings is key
in attracting interest in our beautiful and friendly island from
both new and returning tourists," said Cornelius de Weever, acting
minister of tourism, economic affairs, transportation and
telecommunications for St.
Maarten. "Rockland Estate is one of the most important
attraction developments in St.
Maarten in a decade, and we are confident that it will boost
tourism. We're excited for more and more visitors to experience all
that the park has to offer – from a look into the rich history of
St. Maarten to exciting rides that
provide breathtaking views of the island."
Located on the historic Emilio Wilson Estate a short ride from
St. Maarten's Port of Philipsburg
Cruise Terminal, Rockland Estate eco-park encompasses the widest
variety of thrill rides and attractions in the Caribbean. The lineup features:
- Soualiga Sky Explorer: Soualiga Sky Explorer encompasses
68 four-passenger chairs that take guests to a transfer station for
zip line and tubing rides, and then on to the top of one of
St. Maarten's highest points at
1,125 feet where they can take in spectacular panoramic
views.
- Sentry Hill Zip Line: From the transfer station at the
midpoint of the Soualiga Sky Explorer, guests can experience the
exciting Sentry Hill Zip Line, where riders traverse a 1,600-foot,
four-span line that provides unforgettable vistas of the mountain
ridge.
- Schooner Ride: The Schooner Ride at the midway point of
the Soualiga Sky Explorer gives guests the chance to surf down the
mountain in large 40-inch inner tubes across a specially designed
657-foot track of heart-pounding curves mixed with fast
straightaways.
- Top of Sentry Hill: One of St.
Maarten's highest elevations, Sentry Hill, offers walkways
and platforms that encircle the mountaintop, showcasing 360-degree
vistas of the island with views of neighboring Saba, St. Barts, St.
Eustatius and Anguilla.
- Flying Dutchman: The Flying Dutchman is Rockland
Estate's main attraction and the world's steepest zip line. It
guarantees thrill-seekers the ride of a lifetime while securely
harnessed in a chair, dropping them 1,050 feet in elevation from
the top of Sentry Hill down the mountain over a 2,800-foot
span.
- Emilio Wilson Museum: Originally built as a plantation
home in the 1700s, the museum tells the powerful story of
Trace Wilson, who was born into
slavery on the property, and her direct descendant, St. Maarten pioneer and preservationist
Emilio Wilson. It also highlights
the customs, traditions, lifestyle and stories that have earned
St. Maarten the moniker "The
Friendly Island."
St. Maarten is a popular
destination for cruise guests, with 1.66 million cruisers visiting
the island in 2016. The country's port has been recognized several
times by the readers of Cruise Fever as the best cruise port in the
Caribbean, and was chosen by
cruisers as the number two Eastern
Caribbean, Bahamas and
Bermuda port of call in Cruise
Critic's Cruiser's Choice 2017 Destination Awards. Additionally,
cruise tourism plays an important role in the country's economy,
representing one third of its gross domestic product (GDP).
Carnival Corporation also partnered with Rainforest Adventures
to develop Rainforest Adventures Jamaica at Mystic Mountain in
Ochos Rios – a mainstay of Jamaica rain forest activities where guests
can travel from the seashore to 700 feet above sea level at the top
of a mountain, stretching over 100 acres. Additionally, Carnival
Corporation worked with Rainforest Adventures to design and build
the Magical Flying Beach Chair at the cruise company's Mahogany Bay
Cruise Center in Roatan. The chair lift system takes cruise ship
guests from the welcome center to Mahogany Beach via a six-minute
ride across nearly 1,200 feet of suspended cables, providing not
only convenient beach access, but also views of the lush
countryside as well.
About Carnival Corporation & plc
Carnival
Corporation & plc is the world's largest leisure travel company
and among the most profitable and financially strong in the cruise
and vacation industries, with a portfolio of 10 dynamic brands that
include nine of the world's leading cruise lines. With operations
in North America, Australia, Europe and Asia, its portfolio features Carnival Cruise
Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, P&O
Cruises (Australia), Costa
Cruises, AIDA Cruises, P&O Cruises (UK) and Cunard, as well as
Fathom, the corporation's immersion and enrichment experience
brand.
Together, the corporation's cruise lines operate 102 ships with
234,000 lower berths visiting over 700 ports around the world, with
19 new ships scheduled to be delivered between 2018 and 2023.
Carnival Corporation & plc also operates Holland America
Princess Alaska Tours, the leading tour company in Alaska and the Canadian Yukon. Traded on both
the New York and London Stock
Exchanges, Carnival Corporation & plc is the only group in the
world to be included in both the S&P 500 and the FTSE 100
indices.
In 2017, Fast Company recognized Carnival
Corporation as being among the "Top 10 Most Innovative Companies"
in both the design and travel categories. Fast
Company specifically recognized Carnival Corporation for
its work in developing Ocean Medallion™, a high-tech wearable
device that enables the world's first interactive guest experience
platform capable of transforming vacation travel into a highly
personalized and elevated level of customized service.
Additional information can be found on www.carnival.com,
www.hollandamerica.com, www.princess.com, www.seabourn.com,
www.aida.de, www.costacruise.com, www.cunard.com,
www.pocruises.com.au, www.pocruises.com, and www.fathom.org.
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SOURCE Carnival Corporation & plc