MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
“Significant drop” in cruise calls in Uruguay this coming season
A spectacular sight to be repeated this season, four cruise vessels in Punta del Este A significant drop in the number of calls and visitors is forecasted for this coming 2014/15 cruise season in Uruguay, according to tourism officials. While in the last season Uruguay received 238 cruise calls, beginning November the number is expected to drop to 187, this apparently because of the very high costs in the ports of Buenos Aires and Brazilian terminals.
According to official Uruguay stats, last season of the 238 calls, 121 were in Montevideo and 117 in the Atlantic resort of Punta del Este, with a total number of 409.367 passengers, 55% in the Uruguayan capital and 45% in Punta del Este. However this coming season, Montevideo will receive 115 calls and Punta del Este, only 72.
The first cruise of the season is expected in Punta del Este on November 28th, “Marina”, while the last on 29 March, the “Splendor of the Seas”. Extraordinary dates will be 26 February when four cruises will coincide in Punta del Este and three on January 7 and 29.
The data was revealed during a business meeting in Punta del Este, by Ana Pascale who until that moment was head of the Cruise Department as the Uruguayan Ministry of Tourism. Pascale has now been transferred to the Hydrograph Department as an advisor to the Punta del Este marina.
One of the reasons for lesser operations in Punta del Este is the fact that Costa Cruises, has decided to centralize its boarding operations and passenger turnovers in Montevideo. This means Costa cruises will call in Montevideo on 22 occasions and three in Punta del Este.
Both Costa Cruises and Mediterranean Shipping Company, two of the leading companies operating along South Atlantic ports have long complained about ports costs and duties, and although Montevideo was not mentioned, Punta del Este was included in the list since passengers have to be landed in launches and this has proven to be far too expensive, as well as most prices in the seaside resort.
However a voluntary poll from the Ministry of Tourism revealed that last season, 65% of visitors were satisfied with services and attractions in Punta del Este, while, 18% complained about prices and 1%, poor hygiene conditions including toilets and garbage in streets.
A regular cruise that ceases operations in Uruguay this coming season is “Grand Celebration”.
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Read all commentsThere are 3.3M men, women and children in Uruguay, so I would image the workforce totals 1M or so: 600,000 “work” for the government and are paid for by those who work in the private sector, income from investors (such as us) and receipts from government departments such as customs and all the licensing nonsense that further loads private business.
Aug 23rd, 2014 - 12:25 pm 0THAT is what feeds the high costs for visitors. The launches the article refers to are also charged landing fees. The dirty streets are in Montevideo, PdelE is very tidy indeed and so it should be with the hundreds of government road cleaners working from early to late ensuring all litter is removed.
PdelE does have nice shopping centres but the prices are high and some of the stuff is overpriced tat just like it is everywhere else i the world.
We don’t go to MVD very much because of all the crime, though during the season the Policia Touristica are out in force looking after the visitors and even the usual Policia are very helpful in my experience, far more so than the UK or American police.
It seems to me that No Money Pepe thought he could milk the tourists and everything would just keep going onward and upward. You can’t fuck with Mr. Market: he can and does go somewhere else.
Would you recommend a holiday to Uruguay? I was thinking about this it for next year. Charlie (missus) wants to go India or Thailand. Iv been to Thailand , enjoyed it but I don't want to go there again. My aim is to visit as many places and cultures before I fall off this mortal coil. I have been to Belize and Mexico and an island called Margareta off the coast of Venezuela and thoroughly enjoyed central america but I have not really visited south america (I know Venezuela is a south american country but I never went to the main land)
Aug 23rd, 2014 - 01:14 pm 0@2 Go to Chile. It has everything you could possibly want from the beautiful desert in the north, through the mystical Elqui Valley, to the rich central region where you can stay on vineyards and historic Valparaiso, to the lakes, to the magical island of Chiloe, and the wilds of Patagonia. An extraordinary mountain range one side and the beautiful coastline on the other. It is safe and the police are reliable. It is about US prices in the cities but much cheaper in rural areas, though with the pound being so strong at the moment, everywhere seems good value.
Aug 23rd, 2014 - 02:06 pm 0In Central America I would thoroughly recommend Guatemala. Visit Antigua and Lake Atitlan.
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