Some 256 cruise reservations have been registered that will carry out operations in the different port terminals of the country, reports the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP)as the cruise industry,  moves to recover from the measures adopted during the covid-19 pandemic.

On the Atlantic side, the 2022-2023 cruise season began last Sunday, October 16, with the arrival of the MSC Divina at the Colón 2000 port, from Cartagena, Colombia.

In the Pacific sector, the arrival of the World Navigator cruise ship, of the shipping company Mystic Cruises, is expected at the Amador terminal on Saturday, October 29.

One of the main attractions for cruise passengers is the passage through the Panama Canal, which would be complemented by tours of Gatun Lake and other tourist sites in the country.

For the Panama cruise terminal, there are 52 reservations, of which 22 are base port ( home port ) those in which there is a rotation or change of passengers, embarkation, and disembarkation.

The remaining 30 passenger ships for that terminal are a port of call or those in which passengers disembark for tours, excursions, shopping and return to the cruise.

The arrival of ships from the companies Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruises, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruises and Celebrity Cruises is expected on the calendar.

With the 256 reservations, an approximate volume of 75,233 passengers and 40,529 crew members will be handled, according to the AMP.

Among the vessels, there are ships that carry from 200 travelers to 4,000 passengers and from 100 to 1,800 crew members.

Job opportunities
The start of the cruise season boosts the economy directly by producing income for local businesses and new job opportunities are generated in the regions that are visited.

In the case of the province of Colón, it is expected to boost the economy of that province through traditional tourism, shopping tourism, and consumption in micro, small and medium businesses. Likewise, through the special Colón Free Port system that encourages duty-free retail purchases in the 16 streets of the city of Colón.