PH welcomes return of int’l luxury cruise ships

The local tourism sector—among the severely battered industries during the COVID-19 pandemic—is expected to be boosted by the return of cruise ships after a three-year hiatus due to travel restrictions.

In a statement, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) said luxury ships were set to visit Ilocos Sur, Palawan and Bohol from Feb. 9 to Feb. 14.

MV Seabourn Encore, the first to arrive, was welcomed on Feb. 9 at the Port of Coron, Palawan. Some 500 guests coming from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia and Canada boarded the ship with 452 crew members.

The Port of Tagbilaran in Bohol is set to receive Silver Shadow on Feb. 11. The ship has capacity of 392 guests and 302 crew members.

“According to PMO (port management office) Bohol, other than international tourists, they are also expecting a significant increase in their passenger traffic especially during the summer months of May-July,” PPA added.

MV Silver Spirit is set to arrive at the Port of Salomague, Cabugao, Ilocos Sur, on Feb. 14. It has about 500 American and European passengers on board.

New normal

“It is about time that we live with the new normal and the PPA is proud to welcome again these international luxury ships to our shores as we bounce back from the effects of the pandemic,” said Jay Santiago, general manager of the PPA.

Santiago said these tourism activities would translate to more job opportunities, which would support further economic recovery.

Prior to the pandemic in 2019, the ports of Salomague, Cabuago and Ilocos Sur catered to 48,100 tourists. The last time the leisure activity was held was in the first quarter of 2020 or prior to the imposition of major lockdowns due to the pandemic.

Passenger traffic

Santiago previously said that passenger traffic was expected to grow by between 20 and 25 percent this year as more individuals were expected to travel after years of restrictions due to the pandemic.

“That’s really part of revenge travel. Everybody just wanted to get out,” he said.

To address the growing number of passengers, the PPA is keen on developing passenger terminal buildings (PTB).

The P353-million PTB of the Port of Calapan in Oriental Mindoro is set to be inaugurated within the first quarter. It can accommodate 3,500 passengers at any given time.

The construction of the PTB in Zamboanga port, meanwhile, is experiencing some delays due to supply chain concerns. Its opening was postponed to 2024 instead of this year.