Puerto Vallarta Welcomes Norwegian Bliss

Posted on 24 May, 2018 by Spacejunkie2

Norwegian Bliss photo by Dawn Jones.

A delegation representing almost every level of Puerto Vallarta’s tourism industry, including the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board, was on hand on Monday morning as the Norwegian Bliss made its maiden call in Mexico and to Puerto Vallarta.

Headed by Captain Staffan Bengtsson the cruise ship will visit Puerto Vallarta five more times later this year, according to a statement.

“Puerto Vallarta has always shared a special connection with the cruise industry because of its diverse attractions and offers,” said Javier Aranda Pedrero, Director of the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to show this maiden trip Puerto Vallarta hospitality and show that we are committed to providing the best experience possible.”

“Vallarta is a port that stands out for the safety of its tourists, the beauty of its surroundings, the variety of its attractions and the quality of its services. This is why it enjoys the confidence of cruise companies,” Pedrero added.

The port will receive 154 cruise calls this year and over 400,000 guests, up from 145 calls last year.

Carnival announces the first ship based on US west coast in 20 years

Posted on 16 February, 2018 by Spacejunkie2

Carnival Cruise Line is to deploy a new ship on the US west coast for the first time in 20 years.

Carnival Panorama will be based in Long Beach, California, from December 2019.

The 3,960-passenger Carnival Panorama, the third Vista-class ship in the fleet, will run seven-day Mexican Riviera itineraries with bookings due to open next month.

New features unique to the new ship will be announced in the near future, according to the cruise line.

The planned deployment followed the company revamping its 146,000-square-foot Long Beach Cruise Terminal and plans for a multi-million dollar port development in Ensenada, Mexico with shops, restaurants and attractions.

The renovation of the terminal at Long Beach more than doubles the size while enhancing the overall passenger experience and operational flow.

It also includes the expansion of portside shore power to enable larger ships to plug into the local electric grid, reducing exhaust emissions while docked.

Carnival Cruise Line president Christine Duffy said: “This is a momentous occasion for both Carnival and the City of Long Beach – not only are we celebrating the grand re-opening of this magnificent cruise terminal, but also demonstrating our commitment to the west coast with the deployment of the spectacular new Carnival Panorama in 2019 and the announcement of an exciting new port development project in Ensenada.

“The west coast is an important market with vast growth potential and these initiatives further demonstrate the confidence in our future success in Long Beach.

“We are very much looking forward to having Carnival Panorama homeported here beginning next year.”

Mexico: Acapulco: Calls and Homeporting

Posted on 10 January, 2018 by Spacejunkie2

Norwegian Sun in Acapulco.

Thirty calls are scheduled for the 2017-2018 season for Acapulco. That is a slight dip from last year because Holland America cancelled eight calls when Carnival Corporation did not conduct its destination site inspection, despite being invited by the port, explained Alex Casarrubias, port director. “We are confident that once Carnival, as well as Royal Caribbean, visit our destination, their ships will return,” he said.

“Our top client is Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings with Norwegian, Oceana and Regent,” Casarrubias continued. “Last year we also added the Magellan and Astor of Cruise & Maritime Voyages.

“The Magellan will homeport in Acapulco for three months, starting in February 2019.”

Acapulco was also a homeport in 2010 and 2011 and has since accommodated a number of turnarounds. This season, 90 percent of its traffic is transit calls and 10 percent turnarounds, but those percentages will change next season.

Recent turnarounds for Phoenix Reisen’s Albatros and Artania meant that passengers flew directly to Acapulco from England and Germany.

Casarrubias pointed out that nonstop airlift from Los Angeles started in December and that nonstop flights from Montreal and Toronto are starting in January.

Meanwhile, the Acapulco Cruise Committee’s priority continues to be to showcase Acapulco as a safe destination with top-notch infrastructure and services, he said. “We are in constant communication with the cruise lines and our main priority right now is to get Carnival to do its site inspection so they can confidently resume their cruise operation in our port.”

Passengers will find a “renewed” Acapulco. Grupo Autofin’s $1 billion master plan includes renovations of the Pierre Mundo Imperial and Princess Mundo Imperial resorts, as well as a number of new developments – hotels, shops, restaurants, spas, an eco-amusement park, a tennis stadium, a medical center and more, slated to be completed between now and 2022.

This year will also see the inauguration of a new terminal at the airport.

The most obvious attraction is Acapulco’s stunning landscape, according to Casarrubias, with its lush green mountains and sandy white beaches, in addition to its well-developed tourism infrastructure.