Cruise ship activity is on the increase for one of the most popular ports in the Caribbean. Cozumel, Mexico expects to see another 16 cruise ships dock in August, a number expected to grow significantly until the end of the year. There is more than enough reason for the Port Authority of Quintana Roo to open up the final cruise ship berths at the Punta Langosta cruise pier.
The downtown pier was the last of the three piers in Cozumel that did not open yet for cruise ships. The first cruise ship to call in Cozumel and use the Punta Langosta cruise pier will be Norwegian Gem, the NCL ship that set sail on her first cruise earlier this week, August 15.
Cozumel Working on Recovery
Cozumel has long been the busiest port of call in the Caribbean, even ahead of the Bahamas and Jamaica. In 2018 the port earned more than $474 million on direct expenditures from cruise lines, guests, and crew members. Therefore, the port has been hit hard by the pandemic and has been working hard to make a recovery.
During June and July, the first months of cruises operating from the United States, the port welcomed 24 cruise ships. The first cruise ship arrived on June 16, which was Adventure of the Seas. The number of ships sailing to Cozumel has been steadily growing in August, as more and more ships are operating.
There are a total of three cruise piers in Cozumel. These are the International Pier, the Punta Langosta cruise pier, and the Puerta Maya Pier. The international pier is most often used by Royal Caribbean-owned ships, including Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silverseas.
Carnival Corporation ships most often use the Puerto Maya pier, including Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, and Princess Cruises.
Punta Langosta Cruise Pier is the pier closest to the downtown area, with easy access to the many shops and restaurants. With space for two large or three medium-sized ships, the pier is often used for ships that belong to other cruise lines including Norwegian Cruise Line and MSC Cruises.
Guests onboard the cruise ships to Cozumel have little to worry about concerning health requirements. There are no travel restrictions for air or sea travel to Mexico from the U.S. or Canada.
Norwegian Gem Returns to Cozumel
Norwegian Gem, which departed from the new Norwegian Cruise Line Terminal in Port Miami on August 15, will be the first cruise ship to dock at the Punta Langosta cruise pier on August 20.
It signifies the growth the industry is experiencing now cruising is returning to a relative state of normalcy. It also shows cruise lines are sticking to what they know in what is still a very uncertain time.
The 93,530 gross tons Norwegian Gem is currently on a seven-night Caribbean cruise that includes calls at the Honduras island of Roatan, the cruise line’s private island of Harvest Caye in Belize, and calls in Costa Maya and, of course, Cozumel. Norwegian Gem will be back in Miami on August 22 and return to Cozumel for a second call on August 27.
Through October 17, the Norwegian Cruise Line ship will be sailing on a series of week-long cruises to the Caribbean and four-day cruises to the Bahamas. The ship will be cruising to the Bahamas, Caribbean, and Bermuda from October onwards from New York City.
The ship has space for 2,394 passengers, who must be fully vaccinated to board any Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings’ ships.
