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Saturday 22 OctOber 2022 locAl
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Arriving today

Norwegian Prima arrives in Aruba for the first time

ORANJESTAD – “After a will arrive in Aruba. It will 80 percent of recovery will contribute to our economy. ing 298 passengers. It was
month of preparations, we dock in our quay until the be achieved when com- Still more for this year a few weeks ago when the
are finally so far”, Marc Fi- late hours of the afternoon, paring this year to 2019, The arrival of new cruise cruise began sailing, as the
garoa, director of Aruba when it will raise its anchor which was the last normal ships for the first time to first of three acquired by
Ports Authority NV, an- to continue in the direction year for the cruise industry Aruba will continue in the the Marriott International
nounced with pride. This is of its next port of call on its and a record year for APA. following weeks, before the company.
not the first cruise arrive to itinerary. The percentage is lower end of the year. Next week
our port for the first time this than the aviation industry, there will be another cruise In the month of June, once
year, and it will also not be “It is the newest cruise in the but it needs to be remind- ship entering our quay for more APA will celebrate
the last one. “APA together family of Norwegian Cruise ed that cruise industry took the first time. This is the Car- the arrival for the first time
with ATA and ministry of Lines. It has been sailing for a lot longer before restart- nival Spirit, of the Carnival of the Mardi Gras cruise
Tourism are working hard almost two months and we ing. And contrary to avia- Cruise Line. The cruise ship ship. It is operated by Car-
to continue attracting new already managed to get it tion, the pandemic affect- is 21 years old, and it cost nival Cruise Line, it cost 1.1
cruise ships for our ports, in to visit Aruba. We expect it ed the cruise industry two $375 million to build and it billion dollars to build, was
an effort to develop the in- once more in the month of times consecutively, both carries 2124 passengers on launched at the end of July
dustry and incentivize our November”, Figaroa said. at the beginning of Covid board. 2021, measures 340 meters
economy.” that paralyzed the entire in- in length and has a carry-
Ongoing recovery dustry for almost 16 months, But Aruba Ports Authority ing capacity for 6500 pas-
According to established If everything carries on the and after the impact of NV is proud to announce sengers and 2000 cre mem-
plans that are fixed in an way it has been going, Omicron also, which once that in the month of No- bers. Mardi Gras belongs to
itinerary, early this morn- Aruba Ports Authority pre- again caused many can- vember and December the Excellence Class cat-
ing the Norwegian Prima dicts that a level of almost celations between the end there will be more first calls egory and it is the biggest
of December 2021 until in the quay, among others, cruise in the Carnival Cruise
February 2022. we will be receiving Celeb- Line family. Mardi Gras op-
rity Beyond, Harmony of the erates on LNG.
Even so, the Caribbean re- Seas, Norwegian Encore
gion recovered better than and Azamara Onward. Projections based on es-
other regions and in that, tablished agreements with
Aruba continues to be one It’s worth adding that Ce- cruise lines for the next year
of the favorite ports. lebrity Beyond began sail- indicate that, barring any
ing last April, so it’s the changes, Aruba Ports Au-
New cruise for Aruba newest cruise joining the thority NV will at least reach
The Norwegian Prima cruise Celebrity Cruises fleet. It is the amount of cruise ships
ship carries a maximum of in the Edge-Class category and passengers as in 2019,
3215 passengers. The cruise and has a carrying capac- which was their best year.
ship has 20 floors, 1646 ity of 3937 passengers. “At least” is highlighted
rooms, 16 lifts and is 299 because the company is
meters long. It’s called the Harmony of the Seas is in in advanced deliberations
“Prima Class” of Norwegian the Oasis Class category of with various lines which will
Cruise Line and it is the first Royal Caribbean Interna- probably crystallize next
in six cruises that was or- tional which will substitute year, now that there is
dered in February 2017 in the Allure of the Seas from more appetite to sail on a
Italy, the first to be com- the middle of November. cruise again.
pleted and began sailing Norwegian Encore is in the Aruba remains a favored
last August. Breakaway Plus-class ship port in the Caribbean, for
of Norwegian Cruise Lines our crystalline beaches,
Cruise Tourism is growing which will also visit Aruba level of service and safety!
Aruba Ports Authority NV is for the first time. Encore is a
proud of announcing that relatively new cruise which About Aruba Ports Authority
this year, in the context began sailing in 2019 with Aruba Ports Authority was
of their recovery strategy, capacity for 4903 passen- founded in 1981. The com-
they have attracted one gers. Azamara Onward is pany belongs 100 percent
of the biggest cruise ships a 23 year old cruise, it car- to the Government of Aru-
in the world. Allure of the ries 826 passengers, it’s 191 ba and has 75 workers in
Seas, of Royal Caribbean meters long and it’s in the direct service. Together it
International arrived in Aru- R-Class category. It was manages the two quays in
ba last May. The cruise ship, renovated this year to be- Aruba, the cruise terminal
which cost 1.2 billion dol- gin operating for Azamara in Oranjestad as well as the
lars to make, carries no less Cruises since last May. cargo one in Barcadera,
than 6400 passengers and where they have an opera-
2200 crew members. Next year, cruise tourism tion agreement with ASTEC.
will continue growing Each year, about 310 cruise
When it was built in 2009, it According to projections, ships arrive in Oranjestad
was the biggest cruise ship tied to negotiations made and another 905 cargo
in the world, 362 meters and internal preparations ships arrive in Barcadera
long. In Aruba, we had to at the quay, in January – without counting small
adapt our quay in order to 2023 Aruba will welcome, ships and launch services
accommodate it. It arrives for the first time, the Ritz (before the pandemic0.
in Aruba every other week Carlton cruise – Evrima. It The company is stable un-
and brings many passen- is a luxury cruise of barely der the management of
gers on board who greatly 149 suites, accommodat- Marc Figaroa. q