This year, for the first time, the Dominican Republic stands to break through the ceiling of one million cruise passengers, spread among several ports — Amber Cove in Maimón, Puerto Plata, La Romana/Catalina Island, Samaná, Santo Domingo and new port Cap Cana in Punta Cana, according to a report in Seatrade Cruise online.
Amber Cove received a major boost this year after September hurricanes damaged several port destinations in the Caribbean. From 32 ship port calls in November-December 2016, the Port of Amber Cove is expected to receive 52 port calls of ships for this November-December 2017.
Cap Cana, in the Punta Cana area, also received new ship arrivals by ships that were reprogrammed after damages suffered to their original port of calls in the Caribbean.
The publication highlights how the restored areas of the Colonial City of Santo Domingo have been attracting much cruise ship attention. Port calls to the Port of Santo Domingo have nearly doubled its passenger count in three years, from about 80,000 in the 2014/15 season to more than 150,000 projected in the current 2017/18 season.
According to Jaime Castillo, executive director of Sansouci Ports, “We’re getting calls from many different lines. They’re giving Santo Domingo a second look after all the investments in the Colonial City. Last season, for example, Carnival Cruise Line came back for the first time in many years, with visits by Carnival Splendor and Carnival Conquest.”
This season TUI Cruises’ newest ship, Mein Schiff 6, will visit, and Holland America Line is returning after a gap, with Prinsendam. Marella Cruises’ Celebration and Viking Ocean Cruises’ Viking Sea recently called, and Oceania Cruises’ Insignia plans an overnight stay on 30 December as part of a Cuba voyage.
Pullmantur has been making partial turnarounds for several years. This year Zenith is operating full turnarounds from Sansoucí terminal.
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Seatrade
19 December 2017
