A Russian flagged luxury yacht arrived in Punta Arenas, extreme south of Chile, and is heading for Antarctica, after having called at Ensenada, Mexico, and El Callao in Peru.
On Sunday Punta Arenas in the extreme south of Chile saw the departure of the first cruise vessel to Antarctica under strict sanitary and safety conditions. The first Antarctic cruise since the start of the pandemic was implemented by what local authorities denominate the sanitary “green bubble”.
The recent decision by Silverseas Cruises to move its operations to neighboring Punta Arenas and Puerto Williams in Chile, has shaken Tierra del Fuego and Ushuaia officials who are complaining that the Argentine government, despite promises, has yet to deliver the sanitary protocol for vessels and crew, calling in Ushuaia, plus announcing when borders will be opened.
Good news and bad news for the tourism industry of Punta Arenas in the extreme south of Chile. The good news is that this Friday some 3.150 cruise visitors are expected to land in the city, they are passengers from the Norwegian Star and the Viking Jupiter, each contributing with 2.348 and 800 pax.
Punta Arenas port authorities, in the extreme south of Chile, are optimistic about the coming cruise season and its impact on the local economy.
For Punta Arenas, extreme south of Chile, this last cruise season was positive while the coming 2019/20 is expected to be even better with some 130 calls and over 94.000 passengers with an estimated increase of 34%, according to Patricia Lopez Manieu, General Manager of the Austral Ports Company, EPA, from Punta Arenas.
The extreme south Chile 2018/2019 cruise season, which includes mainly Punta Arenas, plus Puerto Natales and Puerto Williams, is expected to take off next September 15 and will extend until 29 March 2019, as reported by the Austral Port Enterprise, EPAustal
The Chilean flagged Stella Australis opened this week the Punta Arenas 2017/28 cruise season, which is expected to extend until the end of March. Probably the most experienced company to enjoy the glaciers and fjords of Tierra del Fuego, its cruises make round trips between Punta Arenas, extreme south of Chile and Ushuaia, capital of Argentine Tierra del Fuego.
Punta Arenas, extreme south of Chile received 73.358 visitors during the last 2016/17 cruise season ending in April, of which 67.560 (92.1%) arrived in international vessels and 7.9% in domestic vessels.
Punta Arenas is enjoying a record cruise season with over 20.000 visitors in the last week according to the numbers released by the port's authority. This includes the 4.000 which landed over the weekend from the Silver Spirit, Queen Victoria and Stella Australis.