Acapulco To Become Port Of Origin For Magellan Cruise Ship

Acapulco, Mexico, emerged as one of the world’s most glamorous resorts in the 1950s and ‘60s, and the destination is hoping to recapture that glory.

The Cruise and Maritime Voyages company certainly thinks it can get there.

The cruise line announced it will have its 1,400-passenger Magellan ship call Acapulco its home port beginning in the winter of 2018.

This is welcome news for Acapulco and certainly a vote of confidence for the destination to help increase tourism.

The roundtrip cruise will depart from Acapulco and make stops in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Manzanillo, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas, before returning to port.

The announcement was made during a joint press conference at Foro Mundo Imperial on May 25. Governor of the state of Guerrero, Hector Astudillo Flores, and the Secretary of Tourism of Guerrero, Ernesto Rodríguez Escalona, were joined by representatives from Cruise and Maritime Voyages, including CEO Nicholas Tragakes, Commercial Director Chris Coates, Finance Director Alexis Tsokos, and VP of Sales and Marketing for North America John Dennis.

Both parties agreed that the completion of this negotiation reinforces the destination’s commitment to the tourism and cruise industry.

The cruise line had initially planned to use a smaller ship, the Marco Polo, but a forecasted demand for the cruise convinced officials to opt for the larger Magellan.

READ MORE: Christmas In Acapulco Is A Six-Week Affair

There are 750 cabins onboard, including suites with balconies, as well as bars, beauty salons, a casino, a nightclub, cinema, library, showroom and swimming pools.

Directors from Cruise and Maritime Voyages announced that the first stage in the company’s plan for expansion will focus on this route on the Mexican Pacific, while a second stage to be developed later will include the Panama Canal and the Mexican Caribbean.

The cruise industry continues to view Acapulco as a welcome destination when looking at the numbers. The city is ready to receive 28 cruise ships, which have been confirmed for 2017, compared to 18 cruise ships during 2016—a 64 percent increase.