PUERTO PLATA. This northern province is preparing to receive, starting tomorrow at the beginning of December, 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 by Carnival Corporation and Taino Bay by ITM Group will receive 35 vessels and 25 vessels, respectively.
The arrivals begin next Friday, the 2nd, with the Carnival Horizon, Norwegian Encore, and Celebrity Beyond; on Sunday the 4th, the Regal Princess and the Grandeur of the Seas will arrive; while on Monday the 5th, the Norwegian Escape, Carnival Spirit, and Seven Seas Splendor cruise ships will arrive; on the 6th, the Carnival Celebration, Norwegian Getaway, and Oceania Marina will arrive.
The Carnival Mardi Gras, Carnival Freedom and Celebrity Silhouette will arrive on December 7; the Norwegian Dawn and Valiant Lady on the 8th; the Norwegian Encore, NCL Sky and Celebrity Constellation on the 9th; while the Seven Seas Navigator will arrive on the 10th and the Scarlet Lady on the 11th.
On Monday the 12th, the Norwegian Escape; on the 14th there will be 4, Carnival Celebration, Carnival Spirit, Norwegian Dawn and Seven Seas Navigator, two in each port; on the 15th the Carnival Magic; on the 16th, Carnival Horizon, Norwegian Encore, MSC Seascape and the Celebrity Beyond; on the 18th, the Rotterdam.
On Monday the 19th, the Norwegian Escape and Norwegian Epic will do so; on the 20th, Nieuw Amsterdam and Carnival Spirit; on the 21st, the Carnival Magic, Carnival Mardi Gras, Norwegian Encore and Celebrity Silhouette; on the 22nd, Carnival Celebration; on the 23rd, Zaandam, Carnival Sunshine, Grandeur of the Seas and MSC Seascape; on the 24th Nieuw Statendam and Costa Pacifica; on the 25th Carnival Freedom, Nieuw Amsterdam, Norwegian Dawn and Norwegian Gem.
The Norwegian Escape, Odyssey of the Seas and Oceania Insignia are scheduled to arrive on Monday the 26th; Valiant Lady on the 27th; Carnival Mardi Gras on the 28th; Carnival Magic and MSC Seascape on the 29th; Celebrity Constellation on the 30th; and Zuiderdam on the 31st.
Minister David Collado said the country will end this year with more than one million cruise tourists as a testament to the industry's great recovery across the board.
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.
