MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay expects a floor of 230 cruise calls this coming 2013/14 cruise season

A busy day in Punta del Este with several cruise vessels

Uruguay is expecting over 230 cruise calls this coming 2013/14 season and is in the process to install a network of cameras for crime control in downtown Montevideo, announced the Ministry of Tourism director Benjamin Liberoff.

The official said that after working with the cruise companies and as a result of taking lessons from recent experience “we are achieving some rationality in vessels’ calls; that is we will be have two vessels calling per day instead of the four in some days and none in other days”.

“This will undoubtedly help in the operations and service conditions that we can deliver all along the season, which with the exception of one arriving in October, will concentrate in the months from November to April”, added Liberoff.

Likewsie in support of crime control particularly in areas where cruise visitors like to stroll, and to avoid the repeat of some incidents, the Home Secretary is in the process of installing a network of “security cameras” in the old part of the Montevideo city where the port is located, and in other downtown areas.

“We should be ready with all cameras coordinated and the system tested by the beginning of December. We already have pilot areas but this is a major effort and we want it to work efficiently, ensuring no-crime areas”, said Jorge Vazquez deputy Interior minister.

“We are also working with an appliance for Smartphones by which tourists can press an icon that triggers an alert in emergency situations”, added Vazquez.

In the previous cruise season, 2012/13, Uruguay experienced a 10% increase in the number of calls to the ports of Montevideo and Punta del Este totalling 240 and approximately 400.000 visitors between passengers and crew members. Montevideo was also confirmed as a port for passenger exchanges and the port of Colonia, to the west of Montevideo just across from Buenos Aires is expected to be included in the cruise tours in a near future.