By HENRY EMPEÑO | January 8, 2020

 

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – Subic’s cruise tourism program kicked into high gear on Tuesday, January 7, as MV Spectrum of the Seas, the biggest cruise ship operating in Asia today, docked here for the second time in just two weeks.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the ship’s return trip “presages greater opportunities” for Subic and neighboring areas, which expect greater financial windfall this year from more and bigger cruise ship arrivals.

“We are definitely shifting to higher gear this year” Eisma said, pointing out that the SBMA has already confirmed 38 cruise ship arrivals and two tentative bookings for 2020, as well as four confirmed arrivals and one tentative booking for 2021.

“As I have said before, this is great news for the SBMA and for the tourism stakeholders in Subic and neighboring areas. At the outset we have called for inclusivity in this undertaking, and I hope that things are really looking good for everyone now,” she added.

… and then maneuvers into Alava Wharf to disembark passengers (Photos by Fred Pacuan)

The MV Spectrum of the Seas is the first Quantum-Ultra-class cruise ship built for Royal Caribbean International, the world’s largest cruise line in terms of revenue and second largest by passenger count.

With a maximum capacity of 4,905 passengers, the ship, which is homeported in Shanghai, is touted to be the biggest and the most expensive cruise ship to sail in Asia.

The 348-meter, 170-ton behemoth was designed for the Asian market, with Royal Caribbean’s first private enclave for suite guests, new stateroom categories and innovative dining concepts on top of amenities like outdoor and indoor pools, body and mind spa, fitness centre, rock-climbing wall, sports court, Splash-away bay, and an outdoor movie screen.

In Subic, the colossal vessel is seen as a portent of good things to come, as the SBMA ushers in the third year of its highly successful cruise tourism program, which kicked off in February 2018.

Eisma said that the arrival of Royal Caribbean’s top cruise liner marks the start of the second phase in Subic’s cruise ship tourism program.

SBMA records indicate a total of 19 cruise ship visits in 2018 and 18 arrivals in 2019. Spectrum’s second visit will be closely followed by the arrival here on February 28 of its equally gigantic sister, the Quantum of the Seas, which is based in Singapore.

While the Subic agency earns less than P10 million each year in direct revenue collected at the SBMA Seaport Department, the indirect income earned by all the tourism stakeholders in Subic and neighboring communities were estimated to be around P83 million in 2018 and P124 million in 2019.

“If only for these, we intend to do better this year to provide better opportunities for all stakeholders involved in the Subic cruise tourism program,” Eisma said.

The SBMA chief also said the SBMA hopes to sustain this momentum by upgrading maritime facilities and tourism accommodations in Subic, as well as enlisting the support of nearby local governments to come up with more curated experiences that would provide memorable adventure and enriching experiences to cruise ship passengers.

On Tuesday, thousands of those who disembarked from Spectrum of the Seas did just that — sampling local food and buying local products while touring Subic’s Central Business District on foot.

More of them were whisked off by buses to experience the culture and the sights and sounds in various local tourist attractions — from the marine and jungle theme parks in Subic Freeport to a hot spring and sand spa in the province of Pampanga.

Subic’s cruise ship tourism program appears to be gathering speed and gaining new ground.

 

PHOTOS:

[1-2] Spectrum of the Seas arrives for a day-tour of the Subic Bay Freeport on Tuesday

[3] The colossal Spectrum of the Seas dwarfs hotel buildings and tourist buses near the Alava Wharf in the Subic Bay Freeport

 

[4] Passengers from the Spectrum of the Seas sample fresh coconut juice after arrival at the Subic Bay Freeport on Tuesday