PUERTO PLATA.-The “Wonder of the Seas”, considered the largest cruise ship in the world, will arrive today at the Taíno Bay terminal in this northern area, giving cruise tourism a grand welcome to 2023.
“Wonder of the Seas” is a state-of-the-art cruise ship that began operations in 2022. It has a capacity for 6,370 passengers and 2,394 crew members. It is a 362-meter-long vessel, surpassing the size of the “Symphony of the Seas” from the same company, Royal Caribbean. It has 18 decks and a tonnageof 236,867, and features 8 neighborhoods, including its new suite neighborhood.
The cruise ship will be received at the Taíno Bay terminal in Puerto Plata Bay, which is operated by the ITM Group.
According to the provincial director of Tourism, the visit of this cruise ship marks a historic milestone for Puerto Plata, as it welcomes the world's largest cruise ship. This is part of the effort by Tourism Minister David Collado and President Luis Abinader to revive the country's tourism industry and restore the confidence of major cruise lines in the facilities of this province's ports and its many attractions
An active December
In December, Puerto Plata received the largest number of cruise ships in its history, with the arrival of 60 ships from various destinations.
The last month of the year marks the beginning of the high season for the tourism industry in the Caribbean, both for traditional hotel tourism and maritime tourism, and the ports of Amber Cove, owned by Carnival Corporation, and Taino Bay, owned by ITM Group, received 35 vessels and 25 vessels, respectively.
This figure will be surpassed this January when the arrival of 73 vessels is expected at the ports of Taíno Bay in Puerto Plata Bay and Amber Cove in Maimón Bay.
Minister David Collado projected that the country would end 2022 with more than one million cruise tourists as a testament to the great recovery of the industry in all areas.
Companies that manage local ports are projecting an excellent peak season until April, as visits typically decrease between May and September due to increased travel in other parts of the world.
