The provinces of Puerto Plata, Samaná, La Romana and Santo Domingo are preparing to receive hundreds of thousands of tourists who will arrive to the Caribbean coasts in 104 high-level cruise ships, five of which will touch Dominican soil for the first time, according to the report of the ports made by the Dominican Port Authority (Apordom).
According to Apordom’s data, the cruise ships that will touch the Dominican Republic for the first time will arrive at the Taino Bay terminal, belonging to the ITM Group company, in the head municipality of the province of Puerto Plata.
The reception of these new vessels began last Monday, December 4 with the Norwegian Prima, and will continue on Friday, December 8 with the arrival of the Celebrity Ascent, while on Saturday, December 9, the Oceania Vista cruise ship will arrive, on Sunday, December 10, the Explorer of the Seas, and on December 26, the Brilliant Lady.
Likewise, the Dominican Port Authority reports that for next Tuesday, December 19, the largest movement of vessels in the country is expected, since it is planned to receive 8 cruise ships simultaneously through the terminals of Taino Bay, Amber Cove and Samana, being the Explora 1, Nieuw Amsterdam, Aida Diva, Carnival Celebration, Carnival Vista, Scarlet Lady, Norwegian Encore and the Grandeur of the Seas.
The data presented correspond to the projection calendar of calls to be received in December 2023, taking into account that there are some variants that may generate changes in the same, such as weather conditions, changes of routes by the cruise lines, among others, thus being able to decrease or increase the number of calls.
Therefore, the director of the Port Authority, Jean Luis Rodriguez, highlighted the importance of the movement of cruise passengers for these coastal provinces as well as the increase in the number of vessels that will be received this December in relation to the years 2019 and 2022, where 76 and 97 cruise ships arrived in the Dominican Republic, respectively.
“Cruise passengers arriving in our country will have the opportunity to explore the natural and cultural beauties of these destinations, and at the same time consolidate the economy by promoting tourism in front of our population and even interaction with businesses and services in the area,” he said.
At the end of November 2023, Apordom registered 1,933,385 passengers by sea, an increase of 75.48% compared to the January-November 2022 period, when 1,101,754 cruise passengers were reported.
Source: Arecoa.com
