The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), which took care of more than 80,000 cruise ship passengers visiting the Philippines this year, plans developing more cruise terminals in 2024.
PPA General Manager Jay Santiago said the cruise terminals proximate areas of tourism sites in Siargao, Camiguin, Boracay, Palawan, and Puerto Galera next year.
“This is in addition to cruise terminals in the Ports of Currimao in Ilocos Norte, Salomague in Ilocos Sur , Manila, Bohol, and El Nido, Palawan,” according to Santiago.
From February to December this year, PPA took care of 80,000 cruise ship passengers from the Norwegian Cruise Line, Holland America Line, SilverSeas, Windstar Cruises, and AIDA.
On Christmas Day, PPA said around 1,000 foreign and local tourists aboard MV AidaBella of Aida Cruises from Germany gifted themselves a holiday treat visiting the Port of Coron to discover the natural wonders Palawan has to offer.
The Port of Coron in Palawan can accommodate up to 900 persons at its passenger terminal following a renovation completed earlier this year.
From a maximum of 250 passengers before, PPA general manager Jay Daniel Santiago said the Port of Coron can now accommodate an additional 500 passengers expandable to 700 or even 900 people during peak season.
“It is good that the passengers can now experience again the warmth of the Filipino culture and the hospitality of the people receiving them. From the ports upon arrival, we make sure they are given the proper treatment and we make sure that they are welcomed warmly in our newly improved passenger terminals,” Santiago said.
“Our recent painful experience in the mishandling of cruise passengers at the Port of Manila has taught us that the training and selection of tourism front liners, together with private service providers, especially at our ports, have to be made with very stringent qualification requirements and experience since they are the first Filipinos that foreign tourists encounter upon arrival. The successful reception of MV AidaBella has brought us back on track in spite of the recent distraction at the Port of Manila,” he said.
