Guatemala is hosting this year’s opening ceremony for the 2024-2025 cruise season at the Marina Pez Vela Cruise Terminal in Puerto San José.
The event included a ribbon-cutting by Harris Whitbeck, director of the Guatemalan Institute of Tourism, and Paolo Rivera, Captain of the Sapphire Princess cruise ship, marking the first time the Sapphire Princess has docked in Guatemala.
Tourists disembarked from the cruise ship at the terminal, which is expected to be a key destination throughout the season. Visitors explored the terminal, buying local crafts and enjoying live marimba performances as part of the welcoming event. The ceremony highlighted Guatemala’s growing appeal as a cruise destination.
“This is a very important moment because it is the start of the new cruise season 2024-2025 and particularly important because it is the first time that the Sapphire Princess arrives in Guatemala,” Harris Whitbeck was quoted by the AFP.
Guatemala is expecting 51 cruise ships with over 80,000 visitors to dock along its Pacific coast this season. The port of Santo Tomas de Castilla in Izabal is also expected to welcome cruise ships during the busy period.