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SunCruz looks for a new home port

FLORIDA – As reported by the Palm Beach Post: "The casino boat line that helped sink Washington, D.C., super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff may soon help keep the Port of Palm Beach afloat.

"Port commissioners are scheduled to vote Dec. 1 on a contract with SunCruz Casinos to operate a 600-passenger day-cruiser out of the financially strapped port.

"The deal comes up as port revenue suffers from the departure of two passenger vessels this year: the Cloud X ferry and the Big Easy casino ship.

"Port Director Lori Baer urged commissioners to approve the contract Thursday, saying the deal could bring the port as much as $400,000 a year in revenues.

"…In light of the failure of past passenger ship businesses at the port, commissioners prodded Baer for more details about the financial status of Ocean Casino Cruises, which bought the cruise line out of bankruptcy in April 2004 and does business under the SunCruz name.

"…Over the past year the port has needed to use cash reserves to balance its budget and anticipates doing so again this year, partly because its 6-year-old, $27.5 million cruise terminal has never had the cruise traffic it was intended to attract.

"…Baer, who described SunCruz as the nation's largest owner/operator of casino cruise ships, said the proposed agreement was negotiated over 14 days. The deal called for a one-year contract with options for four one-year extensions.

"The 165-foot-long SunCruz VI, currently at Mayport, near Jacksonville, could be running day cruises out of the Port of Palm Beach by mid-December, Baer said…"

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