The Ministry of Tourism reports that in the first half of the year 666,283 passengers arrived on board 288 cruise ships and ferry stops to La Romana, Puerto Plata, Samana, Santo Domingo and Punta Cana ports. This was up from 483,676 from Jan-June 2016, for 182,607 more passengers or 37.75% increase.
The Casa de Campo Port in La Romana continues to lead in the number of cruise ship visitors in the Dominican Republic, according to statistics from the Cruise Ship Department of the Ministry of Tourism (MITUR). Mitur says that 284,664 passengers arrived on the 107 cruise ships that stopped at the La Romana port from January to June 2017. This was up 50,222 passengers (not including the crew) or 21.42% compared to Jan-June 2016. In 2016 some 92 ships docked at the La Romana port.
The next leading Dominican cruise ship destination was Puerto Plata, with the Amber Cove Port receiving 247,128 passengers in 2017, up 73,661 more, or 42.46% compared to Jan-June 2016. Some 61 ships docked at the Amber Cove Port.
In third place in number of maritime arrivals, Santo Domingo doubled the number of arriving passengers in the first six months of 2017, compared to 2016. The city sea terminals, Don Diego and Sans Souci in eastern and western Santo Domingo reported 89,618 cruise passengers for the first half of the year, compared to 44,597 passengers for the same period in 2016, for a 100.95% increase. The city received 49 cruise ship stops.
Another 3,162 passengers were transported by Ferries del Caribe that operates the San Juan, Puerto Rico-Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic route, but these numbers are regarded separately because the ferry carries a large number of resident Dominicans that are not included as tourists. The ferry made 19 stops.
The Samana cruise destination received 38,728 passengers, up from 27,743 for the first half of 2016 for a 39.6% increase. Samana received 25 cruise ship stops.
Sea arrivals at the newest terminal, at Cap Cana Marina were 2,983. There were three cruise ship stops.
The Cruiseship Department of the Ministry of Tourism attributes the increases to agreements with the cruise lines, effective international promotion and the attraction of the newly renovated Colonial City of Santo Domingo.
25 July 2017
