Subic Bay, on the island of Luzon in the Philippines is fast becoming a popular cruise destination with lines like Royal Caribbean and Costa Cruises sending ships to this untouched part of Southeast Asia.
The Costa Atlantica carrying more than 2,000 visitors called at the bay last weekend. It was one of 15 visits the cruise ship will be making over the next few months.
Wilma Eisma, the chairman and administrator of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority said the region will be pushing to attract foreign tourists to various attractions.
“Subic’s time to become the next cruise ship playground of Asia has already begun,” Mr Eisma said in a statement. “We are very excited. I hope that this will spark our dream of making Subic a part of the inter-island itinerary of international cruise ships.”
“Costa Atlantica’s visit is just the first of some 15 cruise ship visits expected in this Freeport for the year,” she bared.
Royal Caribbean will be also sending one of the largest ships in it’s fleet, Ovation of the Seas which has a capacity for over 4,000 guests as well as Voyager of the Seas which is homeported in Singapore.
Subic Bay would offer “the best tourism facilities and services for tourists from the arriving ships, with memorable and tailored-tourism experiences to meet the expectation of visitors,” the SBMA chief said.
The Costa Atlantica made a port call to Manilla before arriving at Subic Bay. The ships’ guests consisted predominantly of mainly Chinese cruisers.
