Second cruise ship arrives on February 1st
Almost a month after the historic day the first cruise ship arrived at the new port of Cabo Rojo in Pedernales, carrying more than 2,500 passengers, the so-called Deep South is preparing for the second group of tourists arriving on February 1st. It is the same cruise line, Norwegian Cruise Line, that brought the first visitors by sea.
According to the official projection, the port would be receiving around 70,000-80,000 cruise passengers in 2024.
Sigmund Freund, head of the General Directorate of Public-Private Partnerships, provided the information when interviewed at the International Tourism Fair (Fitur) 2024, which has been taking place since yesterday, January 24, in Madrid, Spain.
Freund reported that discussions are underway with Royal Caribbean to determine if they can begin service to Cabo Rojo next April. "We already have Royal Caribbean scheduled to arrive in October, but we want to move things forward to see if they can start coming as early as April," he explained.
The goal is to have one cruise ship per month dock in Pedernales starting in April, and two per month starting in October, when the high season arrives.
The Cabo Rojo Port is part of the Pedernales Tourism Development Project, which consists of four phases to be completed within 10 years. This megaproject is projected to involve an investment of $2.245 billion over that period, in one of the poorest provinces in the country.
Of the more than 2,000 cruise shippassengerswho, and of those, around 570 took tours of Pedernales,Freund explained.
Freund projected that the government's improvements to various points in the Pedernales province, which can be visited by those arriving at the new port, would be ready for the arrival of the third cruise ship to Cabo Rojo in March-April.
Among these places he mentioned the Hoyo de Pelempito, the Laguna de Ovideo, and the streets and the boardwalk of the town of Pedernales.
Freund added that it was agreed with the port's operating company that 50% of the land tours must be contracted with local guides, who have been receiving training from the Ministry of Tourism and the Institute of Technical and Professional Training (Infotep), both in languages and in tourist service.
The government estimates that it has already invested 26 billion pesos in Pedernales, and has created more than 1,800 direct and indirect jobs
Port phases
The Cabo Rojo Port is divided into three phases.
- The first one was inaugurated in January, with the arrival of the first cruise ship.
- The second one will be finished by April-May of this year.
- The third and final phase, which includes a water park and a boutique mini-hotel, will be ready by the end of the year.
"It's a construction that has been planned in that way, so that it can be inaugurated in various stages, so that we can enjoy the destination while we complete it," Freund explained.
The port's current capacity in its first phase is for two cruise ships, the largest class of vessel in the world, simultaneously.
With information from Diario Libre.
