Cruise Ships in Providence?

[Statesman]

Was talking to my great grandfather earlier today, who swears by his skin that there's plans to revamp the Port of Providence to accommodate larege ships like cruise ships and ocean tankers again, like it could "back in his day".

Was he being senile, or is this a plan in the works/proposed? I tried a quick Google search to no avail, and am out of work for the day and impatient.

He mentioned dredging the southern portion of the Bay to create a passage for the larger ships.

[CtownMikey]

http://www.providencepiers.com/index.html

maybe you mean this?

[Statesman]

This seems like the perfect fit, thanks!

Being able to board a cruise ship and head out without going all the way to Boston sounds wonderful..

[Frankie811]

Was talking to my great grandfather earlier today, who swears by his skin that there's plans to revamp the Port of Providence to accommodate larege ships like cruise ships and ocean tankers again, like it could "back in his day".

Was he being senile, or is this a plan in the works/proposed? I tried a quick Google search to no avail, and am out of work for the day and impatient.

He mentioned dredging the southern portion of the Bay to create a passage for the larger ships.

I think I do remember something being said during Cianci's last few years in office. But I don't think it was Conley's proposal.

[MikeR]

Was talking to my great grandfather earlier today, who swears by his skin that there's plans to revamp the Port of Providence to accommodate larege ships like cruise ships and ocean tankers again, like it could "back in his day".

Was he being senile, or is this a plan in the works/proposed? I tried a quick Google search to no avail, and am out of work for the day and impatient.

He mentioned dredging the southern portion of the Bay to create a passage for the larger ships.

My older sister actually left on her honeymoon from a cruise ship to the Bahamas from the Providence pier back in, 1980 or so. So yes, you used to be able to leave Providence on a cruise ship a few decades ago.

[Mij]

Conelly is trying a bunch stuff at state pier 1. If i remember correctly it did start out as one of the "New Citites" plans under Cianci. The "Providence Piers Project" is sapossed to be Conleys legacy.

read this from a while ago

At one point the scope of this project was going to make the "Power Block" "Tiny in comparison"

That was some time ago that the news was out on this. Since then ConlysWarf has opened but i dont remember hearing much more about the project...

[Garris]

At one point the scope of this project was going to make the "Power Block" "Tiny in comparison"

That was some time ago that the news was out on this. Since then ConlysWarf has opened but i dont remember hearing much more about the project...

There was some recent news, none encouraging. He tried go get a zoning exemption to allow for his artist housing done at the 11th hr, I recall, which outraged neighborhood activists, and it was declined. He also said a couple of months ago that he wanted to do a casino there too...

- Garris

[Cotuit]

From what I've heard, the timeline for the Providence Piers project is on the order of a decade plus. That doesn't mean we can't see cruise ships in Providence sooner. Even without dredging and a proper cruise ship pier, passengers can still be brought into port on launches, that's how it is done now in Newport. And the current state of the area shouldn't be a deterrant either. It would be ideal to have passengers landing in a vibrant waterfront, but passengers can be put on shuttles and brought downtown. There's a new cruise ship terminal in Red Hook, Brooklyn which people are naysaying because it is in a similar downtrodden warehouse district, but if you move passengers through quick enough, they won't really care. The cruise ship terminal in Boston is similarly nothing to write home about, there are no attractions right at the peir itself.

He also said a couple of months ago that he wanted to do a casino there too...

Yes, he is firmly in the Harragansetts pocket, but methinks its really for his own benefit that he is working with them.

[Cotuit]

He tried go get a zoning exemption to allow for his artist housing done at the 11th hr, I recall, which outraged neighborhood activists, and it was declined.

Neighborhood activists on Allens Avenue!

It's funny, but I do think its not really Fox Point type activist, but rather business owners on the waterfront who fear their businesses will be cleared out because they are too dirty for the family fun land atmosphere Conolly has planned. Their concerns are valid, and it would be nice to see the city driving the development on the waterfront and making assurances for these business owners, rather than seeing a private developer with a not so stellar past trying to variance his way into creating his own vision.

[Pseudo_Work]

http://www.providencepiers.com/index.html

maybe you mean this?

I find it a bit odd that they'd be planning something like this on Allens Avenue near the hospitals so early in the game. It seems to me that if you were going to put a tourism-oriented project like this in the city, you'd logically want it to be where the action is, i.e. downtown. Are we really that desperate to have cruise ships docking here that we're willing to pour a huge amount of money into a project in a completely theoretical neighborhood because the hurricane barrier won't allow large ships right into downtown? And aren't we neglecting the precarious nature of that neighborhood in the first place, being below the barrier altogether, and naturally low-lying? Just a few things to consider.

[Garris]

Neighborhood activists on Allens Avenue!

It was, of course, the Fox Point people who objected...

- Garris

[jencoleslaw]

There was some recent news, none encouraging. He tried go get a zoning exemption to allow for his artist housing done at the 11th hr, I recall, which outraged neighborhood activists, and it was declined. He also said a couple of months ago that he wanted to do a casino there too...

- Garris

actually what outraged the neighborhoods was some of the language in the ordinance change. The artist housing change went through without incident. It was the other stuff, that would allow for a big hotel and perhaps a casino that did not go through.

[webbage]

From what I've heard, the timeline for the Providence Piers project is on the order of a decade plus. That doesn't mean we can't see cruise ships in Providence sooner. Even without dredging and a proper cruise ship pier, passengers can still be brought into port on launches, that's how it is done now in Newport. And the current state of the area shouldn't be a deterrant either. It would be ideal to have passengers landing in a vibrant waterfront, but passengers can be put on shuttles and brought downtown. There's a new cruise ship terminal in Red Hook, Brooklyn which people are naysaying because it is in a similar downtrodden warehouse district, but if you move passengers through quick enough, they won't really care. The cruise ship terminal in Boston is similarly nothing to write home about, there are no attractions right at the peir itself.

Yes, he is firmly in the Harragansetts pocket, but methinks its really for his own benefit that he is working with them.

Sorry to reply to this thread so late, but I wanted to reply since I'm a big cruise fan.

While tendering is possible in Providence, it's highly impractical if Providence wants to be a port of embarkation. Tendering isn't meant for people with large amounts of luggage.

I really hope this happens, however. A cruise ship port would be a HUGE boost to our hotel industry. I'd say roughly 30-50% of cruisers (myself included) like to arrive at the port the day before. Dependng on the size of ship, this has the potential for an extra 1,000 guests in Providence's hotel rooms for every sailing.

[jencoleslaw]

i can only support cruise ships if they are somehow decontaminated to ensure no one gets that horrible pukey virus that seems to run rampant on those things. I will never go on a cruise now (not that i was planning one, but now i'm REALLY not planning one.) and i just don't want sick people disembarking in Providence, frankly! We got enough problems here.

[runawayjim]

i can only support cruise ships if they are somehow decontaminated to ensure no one gets that horrible pukey virus that seems to run rampant on those things. I will never go on a cruise now (not that i was planning one, but now i'm REALLY not planning one.) and i just don't want sick people disembarking in Providence, frankly! We got enough problems here.

how often does that happen?

[Recchia]

I've been on two and have been fine. I think part of the problem is people go crazy and eat everything in sight on cruises cause all they do is serve you meals all day. I ate way too much my first night and paid for it later that evening. I was fine the next day and it wasn't any virus.

[mental757]

I've been on 5 cruises (just did 2 weeks in Hawaii in April) and there was no one to my knowledge that got the virus. Sea-sick and/or intoxicated maybe, but not a virus.

[webbage]

i can only support cruise ships if they are somehow decontaminated to ensure no one gets that horrible pukey virus that seems to run rampant on those things. I will never go on a cruise now (not that i was planning one, but now i'm REALLY not planning one.) and i just don't want sick people disembarking in Providence, frankly! We got enough problems here.

Jen, in all honesty, I've chatted online with some of the people on these cruises and the media really hypes these events. I've been on two cruises, and I consider them the most relaxing two weeks of my life.

Adam - I experienced the same thing! I had an extra course at dinner. Combine that with somewhat rough seas, and things get ugly!

[jencoleslaw]

i was kidding.

I would never go on a cruise because i don't like being held captive while on vacation, but i understand the appeal. The stories of Norwalk Virus type deals though, really don't endear me to that kind of fun.

[webbage]

i was kidding.

I would never go on a cruise because i don't like being held captive while on vacation, but i understand the appeal. The stories of Norwalk Virus type deals though, really don't endear me to that kind of fun.

Honestly, you're not held captive on vacation while at sea. These ships are so huge there's so much to do, such as eating, shopping, eating, rock climbing, swimming, ice skating, roller blading, mini golfing, eating, dancing, clubbing, eating, drinking, and eating.

[Recchia]

All this cruise talk is making me want to get on another one... they are by far the best vacation. Soooo much food, I'm pretty sure when I went on one after high school it was the breaking point for me getting obese.

[runawayjim]

All this cruise talk is making me want to get on another one... they are by far the best vacation. Soooo much food, I'm pretty sure when I went on one after high school it was the breaking point for me getting obese.

hahaha... that's great. i gained a lot of weight in college because i was no longer on the track team like high school... and now i'm even heavier because me and my fiancee like to eat. what was your secret to losing all the weight and keeping it off while still eating all the donuts you eat and drinking all that beer?

[Frankie811]

really don't endear me to that kind of fun.

OK Jen, it's time to take the carrot out!

[Recchia]

hahaha... that's great. i gained a lot of weight in college because i was no longer on the track team like high school... and now i'm even heavier because me and my fiancee like to eat. what was your secret to losing all the weight and keeping it off while still eating all the donuts you eat and drinking all that beer?

Exercise. I've been running 7 miles/day or doing an elliptical for an hour/day or exercise bike or both for the past year and a half. Weightlifting at least three times per week also helps a lot, I started that a year ago. When you're burning over 1,500 calories per day just through exercise you can pretty much eat whatever you want and stay in shape, at least in my experience. I read that Lance Armstrong eats 7,000 calories per day just to maintain his weight when he's training. I usually end up eating between 4,000 and 7,000 on an average day as long as I've done my exercise.

P.S. Alcohol is absolutely horrible for weight loss. Despite how I may come across on here, I really only get drunk once a week and its usually captain and diets or Miller Lites. Alcohol kills your metabolism and is all empty calories that your body just turns right into fat. You can drink and maintain your weight but its really hard to lose weight while drinking.

[runawayjim]

Exercise. I've been running 7 miles/day or doing an elliptical for an hour/day or exercise bike or both for the past year and a half. Weightlifting at least three times per week also helps a lot, I started that a year ago. When you're burning over 1,500 calories per day just through exercise you can pretty much eat whatever you want and stay in shape, at least in my experience. I read that Lance Armstrong eats 7,000 calories per day just to maintain his weight when he's training. I usually end up eating between 4,000 and 7,000 on an average day as long as I've done my exercise.

P.S. Alcohol is absolutely horrible for weight loss. Despite how I may come across on here, I really only get drunk once a week and its usually captain and diets or Miller Lites. Alcohol kills your metabolism and is all empty calories that your body just turns right into fat. You can drink and maintain your weight but its really hard to lose weight while drinking.

looks like i need to start exercising... i don't eat terribly bad (not even 4000 calories a day, and certainly not 7000), but i don't eat all that well.

i wish it wasn't so hot. my fiancee and i decided we'd start walking a half hour everyday after work... but when 5 minutes of standing outside makes you sweat, walking doesn't seem like such a great idea. i should probably buy some sort of exercise machine or a gym membership (since my apartment isn't big enough for a machine). i just wish gym memberships weren't so freaking expensive.