Argentina's Health Ministry Tuesday ordered everyone on board the cruise ship Hamburg must remain under quarantine after a new case of COVID-19 has been detected.
As incoming trips from Africa were banned almost worldwide in light of the appearance of the Omicron strain of SARS-CoV-2, Argentine authorities had no trouble allowing a cruise ship steaming from Cape Verde to moor in Buenos Aires.... because “it came from Asia.”
Polar class vessel Crystal Endeavor departed from Ushuaia, the southernmost tip of Argentina on her first-ever expedition voyage to Antarctica, after receiving the epidemiological clearance from local sanitary authorities on Wednesday.
As happened with MSC Cruises, Costa Cruises announced on Friday the cancellation of its 2021/2022 cruise season in Uruguay and Argentina. Last-minute differences with Brazilian officials forced the Italian cruise company which belongs to the Carnival Group, to redraft the itinerary of Costa Fascinosa that was expected in Uruguay and Argentina.
MSC cruises announced on Tuesday that it was cancelling its 2021/22 cruise season to Argentina and Uruguay. “Since the beginning of the year and continuing on the path outlined last year to achieve the safe resumption of cruise operations in Buenos Aires, MSC Cruises has been working closely with authorities from Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay to reestablish protocols and joint operation rules for the 2021/22 season from Buenos Aires and Montevideo under the new normality”, pointed out a release from the Swiss company.
Argentina is considering the updating and redesign of port infrastructure in Buenos Aires to help improve docking facilities for cruise vessels. The announcement was done by Transport minister Mario Meoni given the growing number of tourists arriving at the Argentine capital.
Puerto Madryn in the Patagonia province of Chubut, and one of three Argentine ports operating with cruise vessels is expecting to receive 39 calls this 2018/19 season, totaling some 59.000 visitors and 28.000 crew members.
Ushuaia, capital of Tierra del Fuego province in the extreme south of Argentina will again be the main hub for Antarctica cruises with an estimated 284 calls involving 36 vessels, according to the provincial Tourism Institute. Overall Ushuaia will receive 375 calls, (Antarctica and non Antarctica cruises) totaling some 120.000 visitors.
Argentina is expecting 490.000 cruise visitors this season and is targeting a million visitors in the following years, and to promote this policy it has announced a drastic cut in port fees and costs, with special emphasis on those vessels which are over 300 meters long.
Luxury line Silversea's 254-passenger Silver Cloud has set sail on its first voyage after a massive makeover designed to turn it into the most elegant polar expedition vessel at sea.