Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), the innovator in global cruise travel with a 55-year history of breaking boundaries, continues its legacy of “firsts” by announcing that it has become the first cruise line to seasonally homeport in Panama City, Panama, offering roundtrip Panama Canal voyages beginning March 20, 2022 with Norwegian Jewel.
NCL’s parent company Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., the leading global cruise company which also operates the Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands, signed a multi-year agreement with the Panama Tourism Authority, which allows the Company to seasonally homeport at the Colon Cruise Terminal as well as at Fuerte Amador Cruise Terminal located on the Pacific Ocean side the country and adjacent to Panama City. The new contract is part of an agreement that will provide Panama Canal transit benefits to Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. from 2022 through 2024, while operating homeport turnarounds. In 2022 and 2023, the Company will offer 12 homeport voyages starting with Norwegian Jewel on March 20, 2022 where she will sail a nine-day itinerary traversing the Panama Canal and visiting incredible destinations including Puerto Limon, Costa Rica; Oranjestad Aruba; Willemstad, Curaçao; Kralendijk, Bonaire and Cartagena Colombia before arriving to the Caribbean side of Panama in the city of Colon.
“Part of our Company’s mission is to create unforgettable experiences in some of the most special places around the world,” said Harry Sommer, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line. “This new agreement enables nearly 24,000 guests to experience the beauty of Panama each year.”
Starting Jan. 14, 2023, Norwegian Gem will feature select Panama Canal voyages including an 11-day journey visiting seven ports of call, including Puerto Limon, Costa Rica; Oranjestad, Aruba; Willemstad, Curaçao; Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic and Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands before ending in New York City. On Dec. 6, 2023, Norwegian Joy will offer a 10-day voyage sailing from Panama City (Fuerte Amador), Panama and visiting notable destinations including Puerto Limon, Costa Rica; George Town, Grand Cayman; Roatán, Bay Islands; Harvest Caye, the Brand’s private resort destination in Belize; Cozumel, Mexico and Great Stirrup Cay, the company’s private island in the Bahamas before ending her journey in Miami.
“We are proud to partner with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. to bring the beauty of Panama, its nature, its culture and its history, to more travelers around the world. We have an amazing opportunity to position our country in the cruise industry as the only country with cruise ports in both oceans and a canal connecting both. This agreement will bolster this positioning as well as have positive economic impact in Panama where cruising contributes tens of millions a year in revenue to our economy,” said Iván Eskildsen, Minister of Tourism of Panama.
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