By HENRY EMPEÑO

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – The dream to make Subic the next cruise ship playground in Asia edges closer to reality, as officials of Royal Caribbean International (RCI), one of the biggest cruise ship liners in the world, tentatively greenlighted this free port for its tour itinerary next year.

Dr. Zinan Liu, RCI president for China and North Asia Pacific Region, toured the Subic Bay area over the weekend and came out “visibly impressed with the potentials of the Subic Bay area” after two days of visit, said Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma.

Eisma said that Subic may welcome the arrival of the first RCI cruise ship next June.

Eisma accompanied Liu, his assistant Anna Lian, RCI director Antonio Muresu and Isabela Vice Gov. Antonio Albano in a tour of tourism sites in the Subic Bay area on Dec. 16, and also briefed them on local history and tourism features here.

The tour included theme parks like Zoobic Safari and Ocean Adventure, the premier vacation hotel Segara Villas, as well as the Philippine heritage destination Las Casas Filipinas De Acuzar in Bagac, Bataan, which are prospective destinations for cruise passengers.

The group also visited Subic’s Alava Pier where passenger, as well as military, ships usually dock during their stay in the Subic Bay Freeport.

Liu’s entourage arrived here to gauge Subic’s potential in the international cruise tourism scene. RCI, which is a cruise line brand based in Miami, Florida, is reportedly expanding its cruise ship line in view of a growing Asian market.

RCI is owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited (RCCL), a global cruise vacation firm that operates 24 ships in more than 500 destinations around the world and controls about 22 percent of the global cruise market.

Following their two-day ocular here, Liu said he was impressed over the potential of the area and declared that the Subic Bay Freeport should be included in the Philippine itinerary of their cruise tours.

“Three days I’ve seen some ports in the Luzon region and I think it’s very attractive to Chinese,” Liu said.

“We have only been here for a few hours, and from your presentation, I can already imagine that we can develop a tour suitable and appealing to different age groups,” Liu added.

In particular, Liu noted that the Subic area also has attractions for people interested in culture, history and religion. He said that the Subic Freeport’s modern amenities give it a unique quality not found among most free port zones.

“So I think we will be very interested in making Subic Freeport a part of the Philippine tour. Thank you for your presentation and we want us to work together and make a dream come true,” he also told Eisma.

During the briefing, the SBMA chief also told Liu’s group about the agency’s plan to rehabilitate the Alava Pier before the first cruise ship from Royal Caribbean International  arrives in June next year.

An estimated P2.46 billion will be needed for the rehabilitation and development of the 15 piers and wharves here, which have been described as the heart and soul of the Subic Freeport.

But Eisma said the SBMA is bent on transforming Subic into a cruise ship destination that the agency is currently asking for the inclusion of funds in the national budget to rehabilitate the ports.

Last July, RCCL Vice President for New Business Development John Tercek also visited Subic to assess its readiness as a cruise ship destination.

Eisma said Tercek similarly cited the potentials of Subic and advised the SBMA to step up efforts in developing the free port to address the demand. (30)

 

Top Photo: SBMA Chairman Wilma Eisma briefs Royal Caribbean president Zinan Liu and party on local tourism attractions during an inspection of the Alava Pier in the Subic Bay Freeport.