The economic impact cruising makes on countries in South and Central America and the Caribbean has to be staggering beyond words. Think about it: a couple of decades ago, you could have counted the cruise ships stopping in places like Puntarenas (Costa Rica), Arica (Chile) and San Juan (Puerto Rico).
And today, you have Holland America with 142 cruises to destinations in Mexico, Hawaii, the Caribbean and through the Panama Canal. That’s one cruise line. That’s one season. Local merchants in all these countries, many beset by decades of poverty, count on cruise business for survival.
Nine ships make up Holland America’s fleet in this part of the world, and that doesn’t include the new Nieuw Amsterdam. Better yet, HAL is giving customers more variety.
Fewer 7-day and more 10-day cruises are on this year’s calendar. If you’re like us, seven days never seems quite long enough — you just get unpacked and it’s time to pull those empty suitcases out from under your stateroom bed.
Coming this fall, 10-day cruises to the southern Caribbean feature three itinerary options. Wayfarer itineraries highlight the islands of St. Maarten, St. Lucia, Barbados and Martinique. Seafarer cruises showcase the Turks & Caicos Islands, Dominican Republic, Bonaire, Curaçao and Aruba. And 19 Sunfarer itineraries combine some of those destinations with Panama Canal cruising.
And this mist be some kind of cruise record, for HAL if not all lines: 25 full-transit cruises though the Panama Canal by the spring of 2011, on seven different ships – Statendam, Westerdam, Maasdam, Zuiderdam, Ryndam, ms Rotterdam and ms Amsterdam. The cruises range from 2 to 4 weeks.
Mexican Riviera cruisers will benefit from Holland America’s approach to more variety, with 10-, 11-and 14-day cruises departing roundtrip from San Diego for the Sea of Cortez and Mexican Riviera in winter and spring 2011, on the ms Zaandam.
For the people in those countries who can’t afford to be on cruise ships, their presence is most welcome.
That’s it…we’re done.