Virgin Voyages' newest ship Resilient Lady recently made an inaugural visit to Colombia (South America), docking at Cartagena Port on the Caribbean coast. This marks Virgin's first entry into Colombia.
The ship embarked from San Juan (Puerto Rico USA) on an 11-night roundtrip, with scheduled stops in Aruba, Curacao, Martinique, and St Maarten.
Carmen Caballero, president of ProColombia, the country's promotional agency, emphasized that this event is the culmination of years of collaboration with Virgin Voyages and other industry stakeholders. She noted that ProColombia has been dedicated to enhancing the nation's maritime connectivity to establish Colombia as a prime destination for cruise tourism.
During the Cartagena call, Resilient Lady's 2469 passengers explored the historic walled city, participated in cultural activities, and enjoyed excursions highlighting Colombian cuisine. Lee Kayley (Virgin's shore excursions manager) highlighted Cartagena's unique blend of history, culture, and vibrant atmosphere, expressing enthusiasm for building a lasting relationship with the destination.
On the same day, Port Cartagena also received calls from Cunard's newest liner Queen Anne and NCL/Norwegian Cruise Line's ships Norwegian Pearl and Norwegian Joy, bringing the total number of cruise visitors to ~23,000.
Liliana Rodriguez, executive president of Corpoturismo, Cartagena's tourism board, stated that the simultaneous docking of 4 ships from major cruise companies underscores the port's capacity and the effective synergy within the city's tourism ecosystem.
Virgin Voyages has plans to include Cartagena in future itineraries, with scheduled stops in 2026 and intentions to expand its presence in the region.