Norwegian Cruise Line cancels Panama departures
The Norwegian Cruise Line company canceled its home port operation for the years 2024 and 2025 departing from the Amador and Colón terminals.
Sandy Cohen, owner of Columbia Tours, and exclusive representative of Norwegian Cruise Line for Panama and Central America said that the itineraries that were planned for those years are no longer available.
She does not know the reason that led the company to cancel its departures from Panama but said that there are many factors that are at stake, such as state support for the marketing of the route and new markets, among others. Cohen described the season carried out by the shipping company as successful, leaving from the Amador and Colón terminals from the end of 2022 until March 2023. Some ships left with 100% occupancy, while others registered occupancies above 80%, which is positive for a new route.
BOARDING SNAFU
On December 3, 2022, 1,800 passengers boarding the Norwegian Jewel cruise ship took more than seven hours to complete the boarding process, due to the lack of organization on the part of the State entities, responsible for facilitating the process.
Cohen said that the boardings after December 3 were carried out normally after the administration of the port of Amador took responsibility for the process. “It is important that for the new cruise season, the Amador terminal is 100% finished to facilitate the arrival and departure of cruise ships,” said the businesswoman.
The Norwegian Cruise Line home port operation came to fruition after the Panama Tourism Authority (ATP) announced that the State would pay the toll for cruises through the Panama Canal, as long as the shipping companies allowed the boarding of passengers in the country. the ATP has not reacted to the cancellation of the home port starts for 2024 and 2025.
