MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay’s official cruise season begins November 13; 197 calls anticipated

“Queen Mary 2” will visit Montevideo on January 28.

Next November 13 the Holland America Line “Veendam” will be calling in Montevideo with 1.400 passengers signalling the official beginning of the cruise season in Uruguay expected to extend until April 4.

Uruguayan port authorities anticipate that this season there will be 89 cruise calls in Montevideo and 108 in the Atlantic sea resort of Punta del Este. On November 14th the “Silver Whisper” with 380 passengers will inaugurate the cruise season in Punta del Este.

Uruguayan officials and operators are confident that the season about to begin will be as good as the 2009/10, in spite of a slight retraction worldwide in the industry, still suffering from the 2008 global slowdown.

Some of the great vessels of this season include the 354 metres long “Queen Mary 2”, calling in Montevideo on January 28 with its 150.000 tons, too large to reach Buenos Aires.

Royal Caribbean Cruises “Mariner of the Seas” is scheduled to call in Montevideo several times. She’s 311 meters long and carries 3.200 passengers and 1.200 crewmembers. “Star Princess” and its 18 decks and Aida Cruises “AidaCara” with 1.200 passengers are also expected to call at Punta del Este.