The fixed weekly schedule will not only benefit customers shipping cargo between the islands, but also shippers sending cargo to the Caribbean from Crowley's Pennsauken, N.J., and Jacksonville, Fla. terminals. The Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and USVI/BVI, including islands in the Eastern Caribbean, become even more accessible because of the connectivity provided by the new service and Crowley's network of feeder vessels that serve the smaller islands.
"We are excited about the opportunity to expand our liner capabilities to better serve our customers," said Crowley's Tony Otero, vice president, Dominican Republic/Haiti and Cuba liner services. "Crowley has been serving these markets for many years and is committed to continually providing the best solutions for the region's transportation needs. The Caribbean market continues to be an integral part of growing our company."
"This innovative service provides full connectivity between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico as well as a wide variety of locations up the U.S. East Coast and into the rest of the Caribbean," said Crowley's Matt Jackson, vice president, Caribbean services. "Additionally, as a Ro/Ro service, we will be able to handle project cargo, including heavy and oversized shipments, in addition to our standard and refrigerated container shipments."
The first sailing with the Crowley Shipper departed San Juan March 17th, for arrival in St. Thomas the next morning. The ship will depart later that day and arrive back in San Juan on Saturday. From there, the vessel headed for Santo Domingo. The ship then returns to San Juan.
"The route from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico and St. Thomas is particularly important," Jackson said. "Puerto Rico and the rest of the Caribbean will benefit greatly from the commodities produced by the Dominican Republic - products like pharmaceuticals, steel and rebar, beverages and produce. There are real opportunities for the new service because of the need in these areas."
Cargoes in the Northeast departing from Crowley's Pennsauken, N.J., terminal are scheduled to connect with the new Ro/Ro service on Thursdays, and cargoes in the South Atlantic, departing from Crowley's Jacksonville terminal, are scheduled to connect with the new service in San Juan on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
