Two New Cruise Lines to Dock in Puerto Morelos

The Integral Port Administration of Quintana Roo, the Mexican state featuring some of the country’s most popular tourist attractions, has announced that two new cruise lines will sail from Puerto Morelos.

Le Ponant and Vidanta Cruise will have a weekly frequency to Puerto Morelos, from where passengers will travel Yucatan, Campeche and Tabasco on a previously established route through the main archeological sites in the Mayan region.

“The cruise industry is seeing a new destination in Puerto Morelos for the arrival of large vessels,” said the director of the Apiqroo region, Alicia Ricalde Magañ. “The cruise lines Le Ponant and Vidanta Cruise scheduled for 2019 the arrival of their ships to the Maritime Terminal of Puerto Morelos, due to the proximity it has with archaeological sites, the cenote route and the Cancun International Airport.”

But hotel operators in the area are concerned that Puerto Morelos will become nothing but a way stop for travelers going on a cruise, instead of tourists spending more time in their hotels.

Hotel spokesperson Marisol Vanegas Pérez said that receiving ships in Puerto Morelos would be a serious mistake that would severely damage the hotel and the community in general.

Ricalde believes that to be untrue and said that in addition bringing in more tourists to the area, the port will impact “the import and export of dried vegetables, grains as frozen products, which will allow the industry hotel and restaurant of the Riviera Maya and Quintana Roo in general is supplied with these products at better prices.”