Silversea Expeditions’ Silver Cloud arrived in Cartagena de Indias on Oct. 6, officially opening the 2023-24 cruise season at the Colombian port.
Repositioning to Antarctica for the winter, the expedition vessel visited Cartagena’s Port Oasis Eco Park Cruise Terminal during a 15-night cruise to Lima, in Peru.
Sailing from Fort Lauderdale, the one-way itinerary also included visits to remote ports of call in Panama, Ecuador and Jamaica.
To mark the opening of the season, a special ceremony – attended by Colombia’s Minister of Transportation William Camargo – was held at the port.
Cartagena is expecting a total of 190 cruise calls in 2023-24.
Extending through late June, the season will feature a total of 30 cruise lines, including Princess Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Holland America Line and more.
Royal Caribbean International is one of the highlights of the season, with a strong lineup of transit calls and also homeporting operations.
Starting in December, the Rhapsody of the Seas will sail roundtrip from Cartagena for a series of seven-night cruises to the Southern Caribbean.
The 2023-24 season will also see 12 cruise vessels sailing to the city for the first time, including the Carnival Vista, the Celebrity Beyond, Regent’s Seven Seas Grandeur, Marella Discovery and Silversea’s Silver Nova.
After entering service in August, Explora Jurney’s Explora I is debuting in Cartagena as well. As the first ship of MSC’s new luxury brand, the 920-guest vessel is set for four visits to the city starting in January.
The Colombian port is also receiving Peace Boat’s Pacific World for the first time in June. Offering world cruises that depart from Japan, the vessel will visit the city as part of a 105-day summer voyage that also includes destinations in Alaska, Europe, Asia, and more.
According to Port Oasis Eco Park, over 470,000 visitors are expected to arrive in Cartagena during the 2023-2024, including more than 320,000 passengers and over 150,000 crew members.
As a result of the cruise operations, the terminal also estimates an economic impact of over $50 million.
Before the Silver Cloud, the Carnival Spirit had already visited Cartagena on Oct. 1. Other vessels visiting the port this month include the Disney Magic, Holland America’s Nieuw Amsterdam, and Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas.
