The management of the Carnival Corporation expects that in the first week of October the first cruise ship will dock in the then completed port of Maimón.
The specially enhanced access road from Puerto Plata to the port must also be ready at that time.
The amphitheater and the Victorian-style town center of Puerto Plata is finished and the houses and shops are renovated to accommodate the influx of tourists.
Carnival Cruise
In a TV program Michel Musa, president of the Chamber of Commerce called on all gift shop owners and taxi drivers to not start with fraudulent activities.
Gold and silver jewelry should be of real gold and silver.
The jewelry with Amber or Larimar should not be replaced by plastic counterfeit and offered as original.
Also, cigars, perfumes and designer clothes should be authentic and not fake.
But taxi drivers were also asked to treat the tourists, who visit Puerto Plata, well and not swindle them.
Michel Musa pointed out that stories about these fraudulent activities go around fast and will give Puerto Plata a bad name.
In the long term this is very detrimental to tourism.
He announced that a specially appointed team of inspectors will check the various shops on forgeries.
There will be tough action against the counterfeiters.
Whether the inspectors will also operate in Sosúa and Cabarete, is not yet known.
