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     - Photo via Costa Rican Institute of Pacific Ports - |
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Published on Monday, November 8,
2021
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff With the reopening of the cruise season in the Puntarenas Province Port, strategies are being developed to improve the services offered to tourists, according to the Costa Rican Institute of Pacific Ports, INCOP. One of the new services is the opening of the Bac-Credomatic bank office in the former Captaincy Port building, where tourists can exchange dollars or withdraw cash. In addition, a branch of Correos de Costa Rica, the public mail company, was also set up for the sale of stamps and package shipments services. The outskirts of the pier now offer more options for tourists, such as a market to taste and buy craft beers and coffee made in Costa Rica, local artisan shops selling handicrafts, jewelry, clothes, among others. In addition, the Ministry of Security increased the police protection for the safety of tourists on the perimeter of the pier and in the main tourist attractions in Puntarenas city. The Puntarenas Chamber of Tourism has partnered with students from the National Technical University to design and offer free land tours to cruise tourists. Among the destinations of these tours are the Marine Park and the House of Culture of Puntarenas. Since the reopening of the cruise station, two ships have arrived at the Puntarenas Port and one at the Golfito Port. Last week the Celebrity Millenium cruise ship, from the Celebrity Cruises line, arrived with 1,143 passengers and 840 crew members. In early October, the Serenade of the Seas of the Royal Caribbean Cruises line arrived, bringing in approximately 694 passengers plus 819 crew 'staff. In September, the Star Breeze of Windstar Cruise Line company arrived, bringing in approximately 132 passengers plus its crew. According to the Institute of Tourism, for this season there are already 10 cruise ships scheduled to arrive in Pacific Coast ports. In the case of the Caribbean Coast, the first cruise could arrive as soon as November, according to Japdeva, the organization in charge of managing the port in Limón Province. The tourist-filled cruise lines announced to arrive during the season are Windstar, Lindblad, Sea Cloud, Seabourn Quest, Celebrity Millenium, Carnival Pride, Crown Princess, Diamond Princess and Seven Seas Mariner. The Ministry of Health established that tourists and crew must follow strict sanitary guidelines to avoid contagion of covid-19, such as: * At least 95% of travelers must be fully vaccinated against covid-19, which includes the crew. The remaining 5% must be children who don't yet have access to a vaccine. * Passengers planning to explore Costa Rica and debark must fill out the Health Pass web form 72 hours before their arrival. With the reopening of operations, the country gradually recovers the income generated by this industry, which was estimated at approximately $33 million annually, according to data before the pandemic. The cruise tourist spent an average of $137, the Tourism Institute said in its statement. The reopening of the port to cruise lines will reinvigorate the tourism sector since its shutdown in March 2020 following the National Decree of Health Emergency for the covid-19 pandemic. Prior to port closures, 197 cruise ships had arrived in the country, with more than 230,000 tourists, according to the institute. In the 2018-2019 season, 263 cruise ships arrived in the country with more than 240,000 tourists. Of these, 151 cruise ships arrived at Pacific ports, with more than 130,000 tourists. The rest arrived at Caribbean ports with more than 110,000 tourists. In October, representatives of the Ministry of Tourism participated in the Seatrade Cruise Global 2021 Fair, which took place at the Miami Beach Convention Center. ------------------ What other services should be provided to cruise tourists? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com             |
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