Uruguay´s Punta del Este Surges as Cruise Port of Call

Uruguay expects a busy 2005-2006 cruise season with the port of Montevideo operating as the hub but incorporating the Atlantic resort of Punta del Este as a growing calling point. A total of 33 cruise calls with an estimated 25.000 passengers are scheduled to visit Punta del Este beginning next December, according to local tourist industry sources.

Traffic will be mainly concentrated in two companies, Italian Costa Cruises and Mediterranean Shipping Cruises with their vessels “Costa Romantic” and “Melody”, catering mostly for Brazilian, Argentine and European tourists.

Costa Romantic” with its 1.779 passengers, is scheduled to begin the first of eight Punta del Este season calls next December 23, all of which apparently are virtually fully booked.

Montevideo will be receiving the first Antarctic cruise of the season “Alexander Von Humboldt”, October 29. She´s the former “Minerva”, “Saga Pearl”, “Explorer II” built in 1996 in Genoa with a gross tonnage of 12.331.