ST. THOMAS —The board of the West Indian Company, Ltd. has announced via press release the finalization of the previously reported single tariff for all cruise lines berthing in St. Thomas/St. John.
The single tariff is effective October 1, 2016 and equates to a $13.60 per passenger fee for all guests arriving at the WICO dock. The development was announced at the December 17 meeting of the board and follows the board’s authorization of August 2015 to charge CEO and President Joseph Boschulte with negotiating with cruise lines on WICO’s behalf, the release states.
In other board action, Mr. Boschulte also was authorized to finalize contractual agreements with yet-to-be-announced cruise lines to secure exclusive berthing agreements effective October 1, 2016. Mr. Boschulte was also charged with the financial negotiations related to the previously authorized work necessary to encapsulate the inner berth. The inner berth is the oldest section of WICO’s dock infrastructure and the hardening and upgrade is necessary to maintain and protect its structural integrity, according to the release. Work on this project is expected to begin during the summer of 2016. The project has already received Coastal Zone Management approval and is under active review by the Army Corps of Engineers.
The board, through Mr. Boschulte, is aggressively continuing its presentations and discussions with GERS concerning infrastructure upgrades and aesthetic improvements to the WICO-managed Havensight Mall. The board also reported on its collaborations with the Yacht Haven Grande, with the singular purpose of maximizing synergies between the two important retail and tourism properties.
The WICO board also announced the formation of a newly established Strategic Planning Committee which it says will concentrate on infrastructure development as well as refining the overall cruise ship strategic direction for the district of St. Thomas and St. John.
Tags: st thomas, us virgin islands, west indian company, wico
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