“If you build it, they will come.”
That is the Dominican Port Authority’s (APORDOM) adopted model as it celebrates the Dominican Republic’s new “tourist port,” Cabo Rojo on the island’s remote southern coast.
The port is set to welcome its final cruise ships of the year in 2024, with a total of five ship calls for its inaugural year.
Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas will arrive on October 16, 2024, and Holland America’s MS Eurodam, calling on November 20, 2024, are helping put the new destination on the map for cruise passengers.
Located in Pedernales, Cabo Rojo began receiving cruise ships to the port in early 2024, beginning with Norwegian Cruise Line’s 2,394-passenger Norwegian Pearl in January and Holland America’s 2,106-passenger Nieuw Amsterdam in April.
The arrival of Adventure of the Seas and MS Eurodam will bring up to 3,114 and 2,250 more passengers to Cabo Rojo, respectively. Adventure of the Seas is scheduled to return before the year ends on December 11.
The five cruise calls in 2024 mark a successful start for the new destination, although the port is still under development. As the port continues to be built into a new destination, the port authority steadily sees an increase in calls.
Carnival Corporation, which owns Carnival Cruise Line, Holland American Line, Costa Cruises, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, P&O Cruises, AIDA Cruises, and Cunard Line, plans to bring 13 cruises to the port between 2025 and March 2026.
The cruise operator is testing out the new port, according to Sharon Mei, manager at nearby private destination Amber Cove.
“They send one. If they do well, they will increase (cruises) according to the corresponding facilities,” he said.“The issue of water, transport, tourist guides… that organization is very delicate.”
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) and Royal Caribbean also plan to increase calls to Cabo Rojo. NCL will bring more guests aboard Norwegian Jewel beginning January 7, 2025, while Royal Caribbean will return in May 2025 with Adventure of the Seas.
A Developing Cruise Destination With Big Ambition
Cabo Rojo is being developed at the tune of $126 million. In January 2024, it completed a 656-foot dock and a mooring that can accommodate multiple ships and began welcoming cruise passengers to the area with a beach and local shopping.
However, early reviews from passengers on Cruise Hive boards indicated the port was not yet ready. Said one guest, “Give it a year. While everyone is trying REALLY hard to make our call a successful visit, it’s clear the port just isn’t ready yet.”
“The best way to think of Cabo Rojo is to compare it to a new version of Amber Cove,” the guest continued.
Amber Cove in Puerto Plata, owned by Carnival Corporation, offers a preview of what Cabo Rojo might achieve. That port, more than 160 miles from Cabo Rojo, saw 80,184 passengers and 23,801 crew members pass through between January and August 2024, reflecting a 13 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
Read Also: Amber Cove, Dominican Republic – Everything You Need to Know
More than half of these visitors were Americans and popular excursions included visits to the 27 waterfalls of Damajagua, Playa Dorada, and city tours of the historic center.
“We serve an American passenger with a different standard of services,” said Mei. “They are cruise passengers who like to go out: almost more than 50 percent go on excursions, and 8 percent take taxis.”
Cabo Rojo’s long-term plan to become a tourism hub includes constructing nine resort properties, a water park, and an international airport.
