Puerto Peñasco, Mexico – The Sea of Cortez is a destination that French conservationist Jacques Cousteau once described as a living aquarium. Its many islands have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites, primarily because they are home to an array of marine mammals and birds, making it the perfect place to launch a cruise.
But several obstacles, including accusations of mismanaged funds and federal government reporting requirements not being met, caused delays in the construction of the long-awaited home port and cruise ship terminal in Puerto Peñasco, also known as “Rocky Point,” which began in December 2013 and was about 50% completed in 2015.
In December 2017, after being on hold for nearly two years, Sonora Governor Claudia Pavlovich announced that the federal government had set aside more than $13 million in its 2018 budget to finish building the first phase of the Puerto Peñasco cruise port. To date, there’s no finalized timeline for its completion.
Last week, Cruise and Maritime Voyages (CMV) navigated the project’s ‘troubled waters’ by parking the ‘Astoria’ offshore and tendering 500 passengers to the ship for the inaugural voyage of their “Treasures of the Sea of Cortez” cruise.
In a celebratory atmosphere, Governor Pavlovich, who was accompanied by Cruise and Maritime Voyages Vice President John Dennis and Puerto Peñasco Mayor Ernesto Roger Munro López, gave the boat the flag of departure, and said it was “a day to remember in Sonora.”
The 11-day cruise, dubbed “Treasures of the Sea of Cortez,” will call at 7 ports: Topolobampo, Mazatlán, Cabo San Lucas, La Paz, Loreto, Santa Rosalia and Guaymas, before returning to Puerto Peñasco.
This was the first of just three Sea of Cortez expeditions Cruise and Maritime Voyages has scheduled for this season. Munro said representatives of CMV have told him they are confident they will return in December for a second season.
He also said the company is exploring bringing a larger ship, the 1,200-passenger Magellan, and developing different itineraries and cruise lengths to cater to younger guests and families unable to take a cruise that visits seven ports over 11 days.
In addition, Munro said the city is in talks with several other cruise lines to make Puerto Peñasco the embarkation or port stop for their cruises. For instance, when Vidanta luxury resorts launches its first cruise ship, the Vidanta Elegant, from Puerto Vallarta this summer, Munro said the itinerary will include a stop in Puerto Peñasco.
“If we’re able to keep promoting this industry with other cruise lines, I think cruise ships are here to stay long term,” Munro said.
The Mexican government chose to build the home port in the sleepy beach town of Puerto Peñasco, better known as Rocky Point, because of its proximity to the United States and potential as a future international tourism destination.
Sources: diarionoticias.info • fronterasdesk.org
