By
Rebecca Gibson |
Norwegian Cruise Line has scheduled 16 calls at Banana Coast, the first mainland cruise port in Honduras.
The 2,376-passenger Norwegian Jewel will make a series of calls from October 2014 to April 2015 and will be the first large cruise ship to berth at the port.
“On 15 October, Norwegian Jewel will be our first big ship call and we’re ready to welcome thousands of guests and crew,” said Randy Jorgensen, general manager of Grande Trujillo Authoridad, which developed the port. “When we built the port we planned it to have a little something for everyone.”
Banana Coast opened its first cruise season with a call from Travel Dynamic International’s Yorktown on 10 February. To date, six cruise lines have scheduled 34 calls on eight ships, including Holland America Line, which has scheduled a series of calls from November 2014 to March 2015. In addition, Silversea Cruises will visit in December 2014 and March 2015, while P&O Cruises and Oceania Cruises are due to call in the first quarter of 2015.
In total, Banana Coast expects to host more than 80,000 passengers and crew during the 2014-2015 winter cruise season.
Banana Coast features a two-berth, post-Panamax dock, a 50,000 sq ft shopping facility and transportation facility on ten acres of beachfront land. Passengers can enjoy a range of shorex options, including the signature Campo del Mar Nature Park and Beach Break trip, airplane rides to the Mayan ruins at Copan, snorkelling at a starfish bank, and kayaking in Guaimoreto Lagoon.