MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Queen Mary II calls in Pta. Arenas

Headlines:
Punta Arenas in Miami's cruise convention; Queen Mary II calls in Punta Arenas Monday;
Concern in Punta Arenas with “informal” tour operators.

Queen Mary II calls in Punta Arenas Monday

Queen Mary II is scheduled to call Monday in Punta Arenas, the second time the largest and most luxurious cruise vessel in the world visits the extreme south of Chile, reports La Prensa Austral. The vessel left Valparaiso with 2.285 passengers, --including 800 Britons and 600 Americans--, and a crew of 1.260 calling in Puerto Montt previously. Too large to berth, QM II will anchor in Punta Arenas bay and is scheduled to leave for Ushuaia early Monday afternoon. Her itinerary includes sailing the Beagle channel and Cape Horn plus a technical call at Puerto Williams for legal formalities, before heading north to Puerto Madryn. La Prensa Austral reports that while sailing in Chilean waters QM II will be escorted by Chilean navy units as happened during the previous call early February. At that time the cruise vessel was followed by the Chilean navy general purpose fast vessels, LSG Punta Arenas and LSG Puerto Natales. Besides, QM II will carry Chilean pilots while sailing the Tierra del Fuego channels and Cape Horn.

Punta Arenas in Miami's cruise convention

Officials from Punta Arenas port authority, Empresa Portuaria Austral, (EPA), participated in the annual cruise industry Seatrades Convention in Miami, Florida, which on this edition attracted over 950 companies from a hundred different countries. EPA Board of Directors president Yanko Vilicic and the company's General Manager Eduardo Manzanares represented Punta Arenas interests in the three days convention from March 13 to 16. "It's an impressive meeting where cruise line executives and buyers plus support services representatives can meet and discuss. A unique opportunity for business besides the 950 companies exhibiting the latest technologies, products and services for the industry", said Mr Yanko Vilicic. The exhibit takes places in a 150,000-net-square-foot trade show organized into sections and pavilions for the convenience of cruise industry officials, added Mr. Vilicic. According to the latest information released at the Miami convention 14 million people worldwide took cruise vacations in 2005 which represents a 140% increase since 1995. "If growth to 2015 matches the previous decade, 34 million people will cruise annually and industry revenues will approach 60 billion US dollars annually". Mr. Vilicic said he was encouraged by the growing interest of the industry in the South American continent and particularly Patagonia which is considered one of the few areas in the world with a relatively untouched wildlife. More specifically regarding Punta Arenas, Mr. Vilicic said the 2006/07 cruise season is already programmed and almost closed, "and we're already working for the following 2007/08 season". "We expect a sustained 10 to 15% growth in cruise vessel calls in Punta Arenas for the coming seasons", he underlined.

Concern in Punta Arenas with "informal" tour operators

The recent accident in the north of Chile when twelve United States passengers from the cruise vessel "Millenium" were killed has had a great impact in Punta Arenas where she calls in regularly during the cruise season. Local agents are concerned that "informal" or non-approved tour operators could be contracted by cruise tourists, as happened in the port city of Arica with the tragic result of 12 Americans killed, two seriously injured plus the two Chileans, the driver and tour guide. Last Wednesday the "informal" tour bus was returning to Celebrity Cruises' Millennium from an excursion to Lauca National Park when it had to unexpectedly swerve to avoid an approaching truck and ended tumbling 300 feet down a mountainside. Leonardo Castex from Inchcape, Millennium's Punta Arena's agent said that although passengers are free to contract whoever they wish, "agents have the obligation of telling passengers they should contract services formally authorized". "This should come as a warning call for us in Punta Arenas to impede the presence of tour operations that not comply with legal and insurance requirements", he underlined. "What happened is very serious for the cruise industry and support services. The safety network and the industry's reputation have been damaged", said Roberto Movillo Ulloa, from Romo Aventura a Punta Arenas company which organizes tours and other services. "It has become quite common to see in our main square vehicles which do not comply with minimum legal requirements or insurance left to "catch" to cruise passengers", added Romo. Eduardo Manzanares head of Punta Arenas Port Authority said accidents can happen in spite of all the planning, but what is worrisome is that they occur because of lack of expertise or training by tour operators. However Mr. Manzanares doublts the tragic accident will be negative for the cruise industry in Chile since "the 2006/07 season is already programmed, planned and virtually booked". But "we must have more specialized services and more scrutinized particularly regarding coaches, mini buses, taxis and gastronomy".