By
Rebecca Gibson |
Mexico’s Mazatlan port celebrated the start of its first cruise season for two years with the arrival of more than 1,300 passengers on Holland America’s Veendam on 12 November.
Showcasing the new cruise terminal facilities, the state of Sinaloa’s governor Mario Lopez Valdez and tourism secretary Frank Cordova greeted the guests as they arrived.
“As Mexico’s only ‘Colonial City on the Beach’, Mazatlan is a one-of-a-kind travel destination, and we are thrilled to share our beaches, arts, history and food with this season’s cruise visitors and the thousands of visitors for years to come,” said Cordova.
Holland America’s return follows the implementation of improved security measures, which were deployed after Mazatlan increasing security concerns caused many operators to remove the port from their itineraries in early 2011.
Following the improvements, which include the addition of bilingual police officers and a reduced crime rate, Norwegian Cruise Line and Azamara Club Cruises have also scheduled calls. Norwegian Star and Azamara Quest are due to visit on 25 December 2013 and 1 February 2014 respectively, while more than 18,100 passengers are expected to visit Mazatlan during the 2013-2014 season.
Cruise passengers can visit the region’s improved ‘tourism corridor’, located between the port and Old Mazatlan, enjoy performances at the historic Angela Peralta Theater and experience a ride in the city’s open-air pulmonia taxis. They can also enjoy visits to the remodelled Plaza Machado and Malecon boardwalk, which is the longest in North America.