Here comes the bride! Puerto Plata, often hailed as the “Bride of the Atlantic,” is experiencing a very happy new year as it starts 2025 with an increase in cruise ship arrivals.
This January, the northern province in the Dominican Republic, featuring over 60 miles of coastline, is set to welcome a total of 81 cruise ships across its two major ports, Amber Cove and Taíno Bay. This surge in vessels means a surge in passengers anticipated to bolster the local economy.
Said Carlos Athahualpa Paulino, the northern regional director of the Ministry of Tourism, “The positive impact that this generates for the development of Puerto Plata is invaluable, consolidating it as a key pillar in the growth of tourism and the country’s economy.”
Since their openings in 2015 and 2021, respectively, Amber Cove and Taíno Bay have played pivotal roles in Puerto Plata’s emergence as a leading cruise destination.
Amber Cove, owned by Carnival Corporation and located in Maimon Bay just west of Puerto Plata city, will see 27 cruise ship arrivals in 2025 while Taíno Bay, in the heart of the city, will welcome 54 larger passenger vessels.
Puerto Plata saw its first arrivals on January 1, 2025, as Holland America Line’s 2,666-passenger Nieuw Statendam and MSC Cruises’ MSC Seaside, carrying up to 4,132 guests, both arrived on 14-night roundtrip Caribbean voyages from Fort Lauderdale and Miami, respectively.
The vessels were joined by the 5,282-guest Mardi Gras by Carnival Cruise Line.
Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Apex and Celebrity Equinox, with up to a total of 5,760 passengers, and Costa Cruises’ 3,780-guest Costa Fascinosa arrived the following day, with the latter continuing to additional Dominican Republic ports in Samana, Catalina Island, and La Romana on January 3, 4, and 5, respectively.
Read Also: Amber Cove, Dominican Republic – Everything You Need to Know
On January 3, Puerto Plata hosted Oceania Cruises’ Insignia, Explora Journeys’ Explora II, and Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas simultaneously, welcoming up to 3,584 visitors.
The burgeoning cruise activity in the province is reflective of a broader tourism boom across the Dominican Republic. In 2024, the country reported over 11 million tourists – a record achievement.
This tourism influx has spurred the creation of 949,000 direct and indirect jobs and contributed approximately 26 billion dollars to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), accounting for nearly 20 percent of the national GDP.
New Port Also Seeing Influx
Meanwhile, the Dominican Republic’s new Cabo Rojo port, located in the nation’s southwestern province of Pedernales, also celebrated a promising start to the new year. The port welcomed its first ship of 2025 – and its sixth ship to dock since officially opening in January 2024 – on January 2.
The first vessel of the year was Holland America Line’s Rotterdam, bringing 2,593 passengers and 976 crew members.
Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader highlighted the call on his social media, posting, “I am happy to start the year seeing how the dream of tourism development in the south becomes a reality that benefits the whole region and the country.”
He continued, “We continue working for a future full of opportunities for Pedernales and the entire Dominican Republic.”
The port expects to receive an additional 25 visits from Holland America, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, and Costa Cruises in 2025. Its next visit will be the 2,376-passenger Norwegian Jewel on January 7.
The Dominican Republic is also home to cruise ports in Punta Cana and Santo Domingo.
