Costa Rica Flexes its Muscles as a Top Cruise Destination

Costa Rica has become a hot port of call for cruises to the Panama Canal, Central America and Western Caribbean. The Central American country borders both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, and offers cruise ship ports on both coasts. Cruise itineraries either stop at the Port of Limon on Costa Rica’s Caribbean Coast, or the Port of Caldera or Puntarenas on the Pacific Coast, or both coasts.

This 2013-2014 cruise season began already on September 1. Costa Rica expects to receive a total of 130 cruise ships docking at the ports of Puntarenas and Caldera on the Pacific, and 59 sailing into Limón, according to data provided by the agencies that manage both of these ports.

During the 2011-2012 seasons, a total of 345 cruise ships docked at Costa Rica’s ports. The Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT), along with tourism businesses, are seeking to improve Costa Rica’s position in the cruise ship market by streamlining procedures and improving safety at the Pacific and Caribbean ports.

Major cruise lines that visit Costa Rica include Celebrity, Costa, Cunard, Holland America, NCL, Oceania, Paul Gauguin, Princess, Regent Seven Seas, Royal Caribbean, Silversea, and Voyages of Discovery. Most cruise ships only spend one or two days in the country.

Small ship cruise lines like Star Clippers or Windstar Cruises spend several days visiting various points of interest in Costa Rica. For example, Windstar offers 7-day cruises up and down the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. Cruise ship travelers who would like to explore Costa Rica more in-depth can visit the country before or after a cruise, either on their own or on an organized tour.

Most cruise passengers seek out Costa Rica for its ecotourism opportunities. Effectively a biological corridor between North and South America, Costa Rica’s Neo-tropical climate and rainforests harbor one of the greatest biological diversities in the world.