Ports set records: 2017 cruise ship arrivals by the numbers

Santo Domingo.- Dominican Republic again set a records in the arrival of cruise passengers from Jan. to Dec. 2017 surpassing 1.5 million visitors through the country’s main tourism ports.

In addition to the country’s sustained growth and leadership every year in attracting foreigners by air, the main cruise terminals were abuzz throughout 2017 with the highest growth during Nov. and Dec., which doubled the arrival of ships with new routes, mainly at Amber Cove in Puerto Plata and La Romana (east).

During the Jan.-Dec. period, according to the Tourism Ministry’s Cruise Dept., 1,546,444 visitors arrived at the tourist ports, with a year-on-year growth of 37.45% compared to the same period of 2016.

In 2017 the Amber Cove cruise terminal in Puerto Plata became the country’s leading tourism port, surpassing La Romana by reaching 659,622 visitors among passengers and crew, or a 40.15% jump.

The cruise lines Pullmantur, Royal Norwegian, Carnival, Royal Princess, Pacific Coast, among other touched the ports of La Romana, Amber Cove and Santo Domingo, while the port at Samaná  hosted 87, 803 visitors and Cap Cana received 47,364, in that period.