The Puerto Rico Tourism Company has announced that the island welcomed more than 7,000 cruise passengers this week from calls by the Freedom of the Seas and the Carnival Conquest. 

They were greeted with Puerto Rican style festivities ranging from free salsa classes, rum and coquito tastings to traditional BatuPlena percussion bands, artisan markets, street performers, children fairs and more. In addition, the Disney Magic was slated to call on December 1.

A spokesperson said this is a major milestone for Puerto Rico, recovering from the hurricanes, something to celebrate as the island continues to recover.

The forecast for November and December is for 58 cruise calls with more than 110,000 passengers and an economic impact of roughly $25 million, according to the tourism company.

The company also said that more than 100 hotels are taking reservations, giving hope that the tourism industry is getting back on its feet quicker than was expected.