Puerto Rico is breaking a record once again. In 2015 the Port of San Juan, Puerto Rico’s number one port, brought in a record of 1.5 million passengers. They are now on track to break the record again in the 2017-18 season with a projected 1.6 million passengers.
The expansion of Pier 3 in Old San Juan has opened up the door to many “mega ships” in Puerto Rico with more on the way. They are also looking forward to the arrival of MSC Cruises’ Seaside for her maiden season as well as Norwegian Cruise Line returning to homeport in San Juan.
Viking Ocean Cruises will find her first Caribbean home port in San Juan with Viking Star sailings from October to April. In addition, they are expecting several new ships to arrive in time for the winter season including Carnival Vista and Harmony of the Seas.
Because of the growth in tourism, more excursions and tours have been added to meat the high demand and give cruisers more opportunity to explore and get to know the Island.
Ingrid Rivera Rocafort, Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, gave the following statement:
“The cruise business, a vibrant industry sector for us, has posted 22% growth over the previous four fiscal years.” She also says that the expansion of Pier 3 in Old San Juan was a key factor in luring “mega cruise ships.”
The island is hosting the 23rd Annual Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCAA) Cruise Conference and Trade Show in San Juan. One hundred executives representing nineteen cruise lines will be engaging in business discussions with attendees for the four-day event, plus over seven hundred and fifty delegates from tour operators and fellow Caribbean destinations.
