By HENRY EMPEÑO | Subic Bay Freeport

At least 20 cruise ship visits have been calendared this year by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), as the Subic agency aims to cement its newly-staked claim as the newest cruise-ship playground in Asia.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said that five different cruise ships have so far scheduled several port calls here from March to October this year, and that more arrivals are being coordinated with shipping agencies for the latter part of the year.

These include MV Costa Atlantica, an Italian-flagged vessel which has been making regular stops in Subic ever since its first arrival here on February 10.

A record of cruise ship visits to Subic showed the scheduled return here of Costa Atlantica on March 6 and 20 and the arrival of MV Superstar Gemini on March 13 and 21, as well as MV Glory on March 31.

RETURN TRIPS
The month of April saw the return of Costa Atlantica on April 3 and 17. It will be back on May 1 and 22, June 5 and 19, July 3, 17 and 31, and August 14 and 28 for a total of 13 trips to Subic starting the month of March.

Meanwhile, two of the biggest cruise ships operated by the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL) will be in Subic this year: MS Ovation of the Seas on June 9, and MS Voyager of the Seas on August 26.

“Clearly, Subic is marking a new milestone in terms of cruise ship arrival. This is not your usual once-in-a-blue-moon accidental port call; this is a surge!” Eisma gushed, as she announced the cruise ship schedules this year.

“Now, Subic is ready to offer the best tourism facilities and services for cruise ship passengers, and we are betting that our visitors would find their experiences here — as well as in the neighboring areas of Zambales and Bataan — most memorable,” she added.

SUBIC TOUR
The 85,619-ton Costa Atlantica disembarked some 2,500 passengers and crew on its second return here for a one-day tour of the Freeport and neighboring communities. It had brought in similar volume of visitors during its return trips.

While most of its passengers were taken by buses to various tourist destinations in the Freeport, not a few toured the Freeport’s Central Business District, with some venturing as far as the souvenir shops and public market in Olongapo City.

SBMA Cruise Ship Committee chairman Marcelino Sanqui noted that while the Subic agency spends a substantial amount to ensure the safety and enjoyment of cruise ship passengers in Subic, it is the local tourism industry that profits the most from the cruise ship arrivals.

“It is not our business to make profit from what we do; our mandate is to give business to our stakeholders,” said Sanqui, citing the beneficiaries as the local restaurants, hotels, souvenir shops and even vendors and taxi drivers.

“If one cruise ship passenger would spend just US$10 while in Subic, that would mean a total income for Subic of US$25,000 or P1.25 million for just one day,” he stressed.
playground

Eisma, who often lead SBMA employees and Freeport residents in welcoming cruise ship passengers and crew, said the growing number of cruise ship bookings here manifests the capability of the SBMA to address the demands of the international cruise-ship industry and the vibrancy of local tourism.

“We have been dreaming of becoming the next cruise ship playground in Asia, and we can see that the dream is being realized right now,” Eisma said.

“We are hoping that this initiative by the SBMA to attract cruise ships would further boost the development of the Subic Freeport and the communities around it,” she added.

 

TOP PHOTO: Tourists enjoy the view of a sunset with a cruise ship sailing in the background at the Boardwalk Park in the Subic Bay Freeport