On February 1st, the NCL-Norwegian Cruise Line will introduce the second ship to the newly established Puerto Cabo Rojo/Pedernales (Dominicana), following the initial arrival of 2557 visitors on January 4th.
Sigmund Freund, Director of the General Directorate of Public-Private Partnerships (DGAPP), disclosed this information during the International Tourism Fair (Fitur 2024) in Madrid Spain.
He also revealed ongoing discussions with RCI-Royal Caribbean to potentially commence visits to Cabo Rojo in April.
"As of October we already have Royal Caribbean, but we want to move forward to see if it can also start coming in April," he stated.
The objective is to have a monthly cruise ship docking in Pedernales starting in April, increasing to two per month during the peak season in October.
Preparations are underway for the arrival of a third cruise ship in Cabo Rojo in March-April, with the government making necessary adjustments in various areas of the Pedernales province accessible to visitors from the new port.
According to official estimates cited by Diario Libre, the Port expects to receive ~70,000-80,000 cruise tourists in 2024.
Freund emphasized that the port operating company has agreed that 50% of land excursions must be arranged with local guides. These guides have undergone training in languages and tourist services through the Ministry of Tourism and the Institute of Technical Professional Formation (Infotep).