“If you happen to construct it, they’ll come.”
That’s the Dominican Port Authority’s (APORDOM) adopted mannequin because it celebrates the Dominican Republic’s new “vacationer port,” Cabo Rojo on the island’s distant southern coast.
The port is about to welcome its closing cruise ships of the yr in 2024, with a complete of 5 ship requires its inaugural yr.
Royal Caribbean’s Journey of the Seas will arrive on October 16, 2024, and Holland America’s MS Eurodam, calling on November 20, 2024, are serving to put the brand new vacation spot on the map for cruise passengers.
Situated in Pedernales, Cabo Rojo started receiving cruise ships to the port in early 2024, starting with Norwegian Cruise Line’s 2,394-passenger Norwegian Pearl in January and Holland America’s 2,106-passenger Nieuw Amsterdam in April.
The arrival of Journey of the Seas and MS Eurodam will carry as much as 3,114 and a couple of,250 extra passengers to Cabo Rojo, respectively. Journey of the Seas is scheduled to return earlier than the yr ends on December 11.
The 5 cruise calls in 2024 mark a profitable begin for the brand new vacation spot, though the port remains to be beneath improvement. Because the port continues to be constructed into a brand new vacation spot, the port authority steadily sees a rise in calls.
Carnival Company, which owns Carnival Cruise Line, Holland American Line, Costa Cruises, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, P&O Cruises, AIDA Cruises, and Cunard Line, plans to carry 13 cruises to the port between 2025 and March 2026.
The cruise operator is testing out the brand new port, in keeping with Sharon Mei, supervisor at close by non-public vacation spot Amber Cove.
“They ship one. In the event that they do properly, they’ll enhance (cruises) in keeping with the corresponding services,” he mentioned.“The difficulty of water, transport, vacationer guides… that group may be very delicate.”
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) and Royal Caribbean additionally plan to extend calls to Cabo Rojo. NCL will carry extra company aboard Norwegian Jewel starting January 7, 2025, whereas Royal Caribbean will return in Might 2025 with Journey of the Seas.
A Growing Cruise Vacation spot With Massive Ambition
Cabo Rojo is being developed on the tune of $126 million. In January 2024, it accomplished a 656-foot dock and a mooring that may accommodate a number of ships and started welcoming cruise passengers to the realm with a seashore and native buying.
Nevertheless, early opinions from passengers on Cruise Hive boards indicated the port was not but prepared. Mentioned one visitor, “Give it a yr. Whereas everyone seems to be attempting REALLY onerous to make our name a profitable go to, it’s clear the port simply isn’t prepared but.”
“One of the best ways to consider Cabo Rojo is to match it to a brand new model of Amber Cove,” the visitor continued.
Amber Cove in Puerto Plata, owned by Carnival Company, gives a preview of what Cabo Rojo may obtain. That port, greater than 160 miles from Cabo Rojo, noticed 80,184 passengers and 23,801 crew members go by between January and August 2024, reflecting a 13 % enhance in comparison with the identical interval final yr.
Learn Additionally: Amber Cove, Dominican Republic – Every thing You Must Know
Greater than half of those guests had been People and widespread excursions included visits to the 27 waterfalls of Damajagua, Playa Dorada, and metropolis excursions of the historic middle.
“We serve an American passenger with a special normal of providers,” mentioned Mei. “They’re cruise passengers who wish to exit: virtually greater than 50 % go on excursions, and eight % take taxis.”
Cabo Rojo’s long-term plan to turn out to be a tourism hub contains setting up 9 resort properties, a water park, and a world airport.
