Monday, August 19, 2024 Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has chosen Colón and Panama City as new home ports, planning six operations between December 2024 and 2025, boosting local tourism. Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has selected the port terminals in Colón (Colón 2000) and Panama City (Panama Cruise Terminal) as its new home ports, according to Max Florez, Director of Ports and Auxiliary Maritime Industries (DGPIMA) of the Panama Maritime Authority (PMA). NCL plans to conduct six operations, including both embarkation and disembarkation, between December 2024 and December 2025.
These operations will feature: – Four sailings by NCL’s Norwegian Jade and Norwegian Gem, accommodating between 2,400 and 3,400 passengers. – Two sailings by the Sirena, a six-star luxury vessel from Oceania Cruises, with a capacity of 800 passengers. This strategic move by NCL follows a recent announcement from Royal Caribbean International (RCI), which confirmed its decision to once again make Panama its home port for the 2025-2026 Caribbean cruise season.
The experiences offered to visitors differ significantly between a port of call and a home port. At a port of call, tourists typically spend just a few hours exploring the city during their brief stopover. In contrast, a home port visit often lasts for several days, allowing for deeper engagement between tourists and the local economy.
This extended stay provides more opportunities for tourists to interact with local businesses, explore cul.