Panama will not be a ‘home port’ for a major cruise line

Norwegian Cruise Line does not include Panama as home port for the next two years, so confirmed Sandy Cohencruise line representative in Panama.

the last cruise Norwegian It will depart in March and one ship will arrive by December with a Miami Panama and Panama Miami itinerary planned for the 2023 cruise season.

For 2024 and 2025, itineraries that included Panama as a home port have been cancelled. “They were planned and in the end they took them out,” Cohen confirmed to Panama Live.

Cohen does not know the official reasons for the ship’s departure from Panama, although he does not rule out that it is related to problems related to poor service at the ports or the accident recorded in the port of Amador last December in which several cruise passengers were injured

Despite the objection he submitted Norwegian Cruise LinePanamanian authorities have not offered an official apology to the country or the shipping company for the situation, he said.

Cohen believes that this situation has left a “bad taste” in shipping companies because the most important thing, which is to have a ready port, has not been fulfilled. “The port is the most shameful thing I’ve ever seen. It’s a place where a ship comes in and stops. That’s all”the sector expert points out.

Shipping companies plan their itineraries two years in advance, but Panama needs to get serious about tourism and match what it has to offer, he added.

He also highlighted the work of Colón 2000, which, as a tourism company serving cruise ships, has done wonders in the logistics of the Convention Center without state support.

He former president Ricardo Martinelli attributes this situation to the country’s “incompetence” in terms of tourism.

“This is very sad. Listen carefully as “mistakes” officials can cost the state millions,” said the representative of the independent benches. Juan Diego Vasquez.