Cabo Rojo Port in Pedernales continues to be tested for cruise ship travelers. Carnival Corporation announced the MS Eurodam, operated by Holland America, and one of the largest ships in the Carnival’s Signature class, will be docking there on 20 November 2024. Cabo Rojo is the country’s newest cruise destination. The cruise ship port received its inaugural ship in January 2024.
The MS Eurodam can carry 3,050 passengers and 800 members.
With the arrival of the MS Eurodam, the Pedernales port will have received five cruise ships.
The Ministry of Tourism says the port’s popularity has been steadily growing since its inauguration, with Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas having made a recent call on October 16th. According to Cruise Timetables, another Royal Caribbean ship of similar capacity is scheduled to return on December 11th.
Carnival Corporation has already booked 13 calls at Cabo Rojo throughout 2025 and into early 2026. Both Holland America and Costa Cruises are slated to send ships such as the Nieuw Amsterdam, Eurodam, Rotterdam, Costa Fascinosa, and Costa Pacifica to the port on a nearly monthly basis.
Sharon Mei, who is the general manager of Amber Cove, the Carnival Corporation-owned port in Puerto Plata, explained that as Cabo Rojo is a developing port, cruise lines are conducting trials to ensure the safety and comfort of their passengers. “They send one ship to test the waters, so to speak. If it goes well, they increase the number of visits, depending on the available facilities. It’s a delicate process that involves water, transportation, tour guides, and overall organization,” she said in an interview with Diario Libre.
The first phase of the Cabo Rojo Port opened with the arrival of a first cruise ship on Thursday, 4 January 2024. President Luis Abinader was there to receive the first passengers.
The inaugural call was made by Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pearl, which arrived from Miami, Florida, carrying 2,873 passengers on its 11-night Caribbean voyage exploring Great Stirrup Cay, San Juan and Aruba, among other destinations.
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Diario Libre
15 October 2024