Guatemala reopens Caribbean harbor to cruises

Despite having a bludgeoning cruise industry of its own, Guatemala expects to receive 24 tourist vessels this year in its ports serving the Caribbean Sea with the arrival of the first ship –a Dutch-flagged vessel- following four years of mothballed operations caused by the devastating Mitch hurricane back in 1998.

The Zuiderdam cruise, carrying 1,800 passengers and 900 crew members, docked Wednesday in the northern port of Santo Tomas de Castilla, thus firing the starting shot for the beginning of the cruise season, Sandra Muralles, chairwoman of the Puerto Barrios Tourism Committee, told the local press.

Mrs. Muralles added that the opening of the pier and the improvement of the surrounding facilities could easily let the port serve a couple of liners every month.

However, Mrs. Muralles made clear there’s still a long way to go as far as infrastructure is concerned, one of the reasons behind the creation of the tourism committee.

This blue-ribbon panel will be in charge of providing all necessary conditions and infrastructure to turn the harbor into a legit port of call for this kind of vessel.

In 1998, Central America was hit hard by hurricane Mitch that ravaged the pier infrastructure of the Guatemalan Caribbean port. In the face of the situation, cruises could only access the country through ports in the Pacific coast.

According to stats revealed by the Guatemalan Tourism Institute (INGUAT), some 25 tourist liners docked in the country’s Pacific port last year, a modality the nation’s authorities are determined to give a powerful leg up to this time around.