After more than 16 months without cruise calls, the state of Yucatan’s Puerto Progreso welcomed Carnival Breeze on a sailing from Galveston with  2,825 passengers and 1,367 crew members aboard the vessel. 

Passengers and crew arriving at the port were greeted by the “Friends of Health,” a team with the responsibility to remind passengers and crew of health and safety measures. 

Once in Puerto Progreso, passengers traveled in “bubble” mode, providing unvaccinated passengers with a special tours of markets and shopping areas around the port.

Passengers who were completely vaccinated took tours in small groups to open areas following sanitary protocols put in place by the CDC, WHO, Carnival Cruise Lines, local tour operators and port authorities.

The arrival of cruise ships to Puerto Progreso is part of stages three and four of the COVID Recovery plan of the state of Yucatan, which correspond to the gradual and responsible reactivation of the tourist offer, together with the recovery of markets, according to a press release.

The head of Yucatan’s Ministry of Tourism (Sefotur), Michelle Fridman Hirsch highlighted that in 2019 work began on the port’s infrastructure, this included the reimagination of the boardwalk and surrounding public spaces, with additions of tour operators, giving way to cultural spacesl, shopping centers, restaurants and new tourism products.

“Progreso is a clear example of what good tourism can generate, an industry that, when invested on and practiced within a framework of sustainability, generates development, well-being, economy, prosperity, pride and social well-being for tourists and locals,” she said. 

She also recalled that prior to COVID-19, a 20% increase in cruise arrivals had been announced for 2020, with new shipping companies for the port such as Disney and MSC, among other major shipping companies.