Progreso, Yucatan — Royal Caribbean’s “Enchantment of the Seas” arrived at the port city for the first time, getting a big welcome from the governor and other tourism officials.
The cruise ship carried 3,000 tourists, part of a five-day itinerary that began in Galveston, and heads next to Cozumel.
This inaugural arrival of the Enchantment brought above-normal sales to businesses along the malecon, Sipse reported. About half the tourists stayed at Progreso, while the others took excursions across Yucatan.
Merchants indicated that the order of the ship’s ports of call was favorable. Passengers tend to spend more if they haven’t already been to another stop like Cozumel, they told a reporter.
They also indicated that the presence of new ships increases the hope that the port will attract yet more cruise ships.
Gov. Mauricio Vila, who posed for photos at the dock, apparently agrees.
“The wide national and international promotion that we have made of Yucatán as an attractive tourist destination is reflected with the arrival of a greater number of passengers by air, high rates of hotel occupancy, the registration of more overnight visitors and the arrival of new cruise routes,” Vila posted on his social media channels.
Returning on July 3, the ship will dock in Progreso roughly every four weeks.
