One of the largest and most luxurious ships in the world will arrive in Colombia on cruise season

The Queen Elizabeth, one of the flagships of the cruise industry because of its size and luxury, will dock on January 25, 2012 with 2,068 people (3,067 including passengers and crew) on board, will be one of the novelties of the cruise season that began in Colombia this month and will end in June next year. Cartagena alone will receive 171 vessels with 292,954 passengers (414,000 including crew members).

Ships from the major cruise lines worldwide will dock in Cartagena, Santa Marta and San Andres during these months. Passengers from Colombia, Central and South America will go on board very important ships in the capital of the Provincial Department of Bolivar, such as the &#39 Grandeur of the Seas&#39 , of Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines LTD, and the &#39 Horizon&#39 , of Pullmantur Cruises.

These two lines have registered a higher number of docks during the first nine months of this year, as well as Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruises and Holland America.

One of the key dates this season will be the 28th of April next year. On this date, the walled city will receive 11,000 visitors on board four ships visiting simultaneously.

Carnival cruise lines will arrive at the port of Cartagena in December this year with its vessels &#39 Inspiration&#39 and &#39 Paradise&#39 . The inaugural arrivals of vessels like the &#39 Costa Deliziosa&#39 , &#39 MS Amadea&#39 , &#39 Norwegian Jewel&#39 , &#39 Prince Albert II&#39 , &#39 Princess Daphne&#39 , &#39 Thomson Dream&#39 and &#39 Horizon&#39 are also planned.

Constant and dedicated work

PROCOLOMBIA designed and implemented a strategy to promote the country as a cruise destination, in joint efforts with the ports and their authorities and entrepreneurs, given the positive impact that this industry has on both the arrival of visitors (the estimated average spend of a cruise passenger at a destination port is $140), and the country&#39 s position in the tourism market through the multiplier effect generated by the volume of visitors per dock.

The entity is an active member of the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) one of its promotion strategies is the country&#39 s participation in the world&#39 s largest cruise ship fairs, like the Seatrade Cruise Convention &amp Rivercruise (currently underway in Hamburg until September 29) and the FCCA Conference &amp Trade Show (which takes place between October 3 and 7), through a delegation comprised by PROCOLOMBIA, the ports of Cartagena and Santa Marta and ground tour operators.

Shipping Companies announced more visits

During the 2012-2013 season, shipping companies like Princess and Norwegian Cruises announced increased calls on Colombian ports, as well as the forthcoming arrival in the country of Thompson Cruise lines.

The cruise line industry has been the fastest growing tourism industry in Colombia: cruise ship visitors increased sixfold between 2006 and 2010.

According to figures from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism, 296,049 visitors arrived in the country on cruise ships in 2010. Between January and June 2011 there were 200,359 visitors, up 16 percent over the same period last year.

The number of cruise visitors has been steadily increasing since 2006, which recorded 50,946. In the first half of 2011, we received more visitors than in all of 2007.

Cartagena is the city that attracted most cruise line visitors during 2010, with 96.6 percent. It is followed by Santa Marta with 32.2 percent and San Andr&eacute s with 0.4 percent, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism.