NEW YORK -- Monaco is hoping that the appointment of two honorary
consuls in the U.S., one from the cruise industry and one from the
television industry, will further the principality's growth plans
related to those industries, according to Monaco's general consul
here.
Named by Prince Rainier III as honorary consul to Monaco for
Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands early this year
was Bob Dickinson, president of Carnival Cruise Lines.
Rainier also named Dick Wolf, producer of NBC's
Emmy-Award-winning "Law & Order," as Monaco's honorary consul
for California and Arizona. Maguy Maccario-Doyle, general consul to
Monaco here, said the principality is looking to Dickinson for help
in furthering a major expansion of Monaco's cruise facilities to be
launched in 2001.
Maccario-Doyle noted that with the completion of a new
breakwater for Monaco's two ports, the principality will be able to
dock medium-size vessels of as much as 590 feet in length for the
first time.
In addition to docking berths for two such vessels, the
principality will construct its first terminal to serve passengers
from the vessels, Maccario-Doyle said. Growth has already been
rapid for cruise vessels that anchor in the Bay of Monaco and
tender passengers into port, the consul noted.
Among cruise lines with ships calling at the port are several
belonging to Carnival Corp., including ships from Cunard, Seabourn,
Holland America, Windstar and Costa brands. Other cruise firms
represented include Celebrity, Princess, Radisson Seven Seas, Star
Clippers, Silversea and Renaissance.
Dickinson, who sits on the board of Carnival Corp., said the
parent company is likely to consider sending more ships to the
principality once the new terminal is completed. He added that the
decisions would be up to the individual cruise lines.
Dickinson noted that his duties for Monaco extend beyond
cruise-industry issues, encompassing overall tourism. For example,
he recently attended a Monaco promotional meeting for about 100
travel agents at a Miami-area hotel.
Explaining why he accepted his new duties, Dickinson said: "I'm
very fond of Monaco and have been traveling there each year for the
past 11 years."
Dickinson, a wine collector and gourmet, said he is a fan of
Alain Ducasse, the famed chef of the Michelin three-star restaurant
Louis XV, situated in Monaco's Hotel de Paris.
Maccario-Doyle said Monaco was looking to Wolf to assist the
principality in promoting its annual TV festival, which will be
held Feb. 19 to 24. The executive said the event is to the TV
industry what Cannes' film festival is to the worldwide film
industry.
Maccario-Doyle added that Monaco is looking at other
opportunities to establish honorary consular relationships with
more U.S. leaders of industry in cities such as Chicago and
Atlanta.