Great boost from the Costa Fascinosa cruise ship to the Dominican Republic: it touches five ports in the country

Five Dominican ports received the visit of the Costa Fascinosa, one of the most luxurious ships of the Italian line Costa Cruises, during the weekend. After touching Caribbean soil, the ship will continue its journey to Europe.

With the Costa Fascinosa’s visit, the Dominican Republic continues to consolidate itself as one of the most attractive cruise industry destinations in the Caribbean.

The Costa Fascinosa, with a capacity for more than 3,000 passengers, began its journey in La Romana and then traveled to the Turks and Caicos Islands. It visited various Dominican ports, with stopovers in Amber Cove, Puerto Plata, Samaná, Catalina Island, and Cabo Rojo, before returning to the Romana Cruise Terminal.

Jean Luis Rodríguez, director of the Port Authority (Apordom), said that “this crossing is part of the strategy to promote the country as a cabotage destination, promoting not only the arrival of international tourists, but also maritime connectivity between the different national ports.”

The unprecedented Costa Fascinosa route not only represents a greater presence of foreign cruise passengers but also opens the door to the development of cabotage, a type of tourism that seeks to promote maritime connections between the country’s different destinations.

CRUISE CALENDAR MARCH 2025

For the month of March, the DR will receive at least three vessels docking for the first time in the country, specifically at the San Souci Terminal in Santo Domingo.

According to a statement from Apordom, it is the Balmoral cruise ship, of the Fred Olsen Cruise Lines line that docked for the first time on March 4 and was received by a commission of the institution made up of the executive director, Jean Luis Rodriguez, the commercial director, Scarlet Rodríguez; Ruddy Pimentel, executive director of the port of Santo Domingo and Thelma Martínez, development of Cruises, who exchanged plaques with Captain Victor Stoica.

Likewise, Manos Carrero will arrive in the country for the first time on March 8 at the San Souci Terminal in Santo Domingo.

In addition to these ships, until March 31, Apoedom reports that more than 50 emblematic cruise ships will arrive, such as the Norwegian Epic in Amber Cove on March 3 and 10; the MSC Seascape in Puerto Plata on March 3, 12, and 31; Carnival Magic in Amber Cove on March 4, 14, and 19; Celebrity Ascent in Puerto Plata on March 4 and 18; and Marella Discovery in Samaná on March 3 and 17, among others.

“This programming reinforces the importance of the Dominican Republic as a key port in the Caribbean region, boosting the local economy through the arrival of cruise ships,” said Jean Luis Rodríguez, Director of the Dominican Port Authority.

Rodríguez said that the arrival of these ships, mostly to Puerto Plata and La Romana, at the peak of the cruise season is a clear sign that the country continues to consolidate its position as one of the Caribbean destinations with the highest growth in this sector.

“We continue to work to offer a safe and memorable experience, consolidating the country as one of the preferred destinations for international cruise lines,” he added.

More than 100,000 cruise passengers are expected to arrive at the country’s ports in March alone, generating a significant economic impact for local communities, especially in emerging destinations such as Cabo Rojo and Samaná.