Minister of Maritime Affairs Jorge Barakat Pitty, together with deputy minister Alejandro Agustín Moreno and general director of Ports and Auxiliary Maritime Industries Guimara Tuñón received the delegation.
First phase: Two berths for large ships
In its $165m first phase, the Panama Cruise Terminal will have the capacity to simultaneously handle two large cruise ships with a total of 10,000 passengers. The first ship calls are expected before year's end.
Future phases could add up to three more berths.
Homeport aspiration
Panama aims to develop a homeporting business on the Pacific, and is working with the government of Chile to promote and develop a new South Pacific route that would also touch Ecuador and Peru. Other Central America, Mexico and Caribbean itineraries are in development, too.
FCCA president Michele Paige and SVP Adam Ceserano led the cruise industry delegation, which included Steve Moeller, VP commercial development, Norwegian Cruise Line; André Pousada, VP government relations, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., and Leon Sutcliffe, director of government relations, Carnival Cruise Line. Augusto Terracina, general director of T & T Tourism Plus, was also on hand.
Barakat highlighted the importance that homeporting will have for Panama's economy.
Paige congratulated the Panamanian authority for its initiative, and offered the FCCA's support and feedback on the Panama Cruise Terminal development.
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