PPA to open 1st PH cruise ship terminal

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AT A GLANCE

• Cruise ship tourism is perking up after a three year pandemic break and the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) now plans to open the country’s first ever dedicated cruise ship terminal hopefully this year, by October, according to PPA General Manager Jay Santiago.

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Cruise ship tourism is perking up after a three year pandemic break and the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) now plans to open the country’s first ever dedicated cruise ship terminal hopefully this year, by October, according to PPA General Manager Jay Santiago.

“It’s about time that we welcome these international cruise ships back to Philippine shores,” he noted as the PPA this week welcomed the International Cruise Vessel, M/S Heritage Adventurer, at Currimao Seaport, Ilocos Norte.

The vessel carried half a hundred tourists from New Zealand and Australia.

“We expect them to visit the scenic and historic ateas in Ilocos, like Badoc, Ilocos Norte, as well as Vigan and San Vicente, Ilocos Sur.

Earlier, the M/S Heritage Adventurer visited the Port of Batanes and then Hundred Islands in Pangasinan before finally sailing to Manila.

The M/S Heritage Adventurer, built in 1991 at Finland’s Rauma Shipyard, is known as “The Grande Dame of Exploration Cruising” and was designed for Polar Exploration.

“May its visit to the Port of Currimao signal the beginning of more arrivals from cruise ships and other vessels here,” commented Port Management Office of Northern Luzon Port Manager Marieta Odicta.

Cruise ship tourism resumed operations in Ilocos Sur, Palawan, and Bohol starting February this year.

Before the pandemic, the Ports of Salomague, Coron, and Tagbilaran catered to 48,100 tourists in 2019.

However, in 2020 and 2021, cruise ships cancelled their trips due to the covid-19 threat, according to PPA port statistics.

First to come in February, this year was “MV Seabourn Encore”, which arrived at the Port of Coron, Palawan.

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MV Seabourne Encore is about 26 percent larger than the Seabourne’s three Odyssey-class vessels which holds 34 percent more passengers, based on double occupancy.

This ship made its last port call in Singapore and has more than 500 guests mainly from USA, UK, Germany, Australia, and Canada. The cruise ship also carries 452 crews, in which 201 are Filipinos.

In the same month, the Port of Tagbilaran welcomed the international cruise ship named “Silver Shadow”.

“Silver Shadow” has one of the highest space-to-guest ratios at sea with 392 guest capacity, 302 crew capacity, and a tonnage of 28, 258 tons.

PMO Bohol expects a significant increase in their passenger traffic especially during the summer months of May to July.

A luxury ship, “MV Silver Spirit”, also visited the Port of Salomague, Cabugao, Ilocos Sur under PMO Northern Luzon.

It was the first international cruise ship to dock at the Salomague port after 3 years since the pandemic and brought about 500 American and European passengers on board.

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The article was originally published in Manila Bulletin and written by Emmie V. Abadilla.

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