The port of San Antonio, through its DP World terminal, is established as an alternative destination within the Valparaíso Region to receive cruise ships in this 2022-2023 season, a period in which 14 tourist ships are expected to call , most belonging to the Holland America shipping line.

After the two seasons that were affected by the Covid health contingency, the reactivation of this industry has the San Antonio option as a consolidated arrival point in recent years, which also benefits the entire coastal tourism system.

According to the itinerary, on November 7 of this year, the DP World concessionaire will serve the Seabourn Venture ship, while the Seven Seas Mariner ship will arrive on the 25th of the same month.

It is worth mentioning that the Oosterdam and Sapphire Princess ships, 289 and 290 meters long, respectively, will make four calls in the port city. In that sense, Oosterdam would close the season on March 24, 2023.

“Most of the cruise passengers arriving in Chile pass through the international airport of Santiago, so the fact that there are two ports in the region near the capital with the conditions to receive these thousands of tourists, gives an important relevance to the national port system”, said the manager of Concessions of Puerto San Antonio and member of the board of directors of the Corporation of Ports of the Southern Cone, Fernando Gajardo.

The executive added that “since 2017, when San Antonio received the first cruise ship, our port and the DP World concessionaire have consolidated their commitment and permanent availability to serve this important industry. And all of this is reflected in the good work that our DP World dealership has done to welcome tourists.”

In addition, Gajardo stressed that “this has been achieved thanks to the multiple coordinations with the port terminal, local authorities and the entire tourism industry in the area. The port has a lot to offer and its people too”.

The general manager of Inchcape, Víctor Oelckers, explained that the cruises "cover important summer routes in South America, between San Antonio, Buenos Aires and Montevideo, and also around the world."

Oelckers highlighted that "the consolidation of the port of San Antonio as the main port of the cruise circuit worldwide in the southern cone is ratified, considering the good service it provides, with adequate port facilities for the logistics of tourists and the great attraction of the areas surrounding San Antonio.

For the commercial deputy manager of DP World San Antonio, Pedro Celis, this is a long-awaited moment, since "after two years of absence we are very proud to resume the cruise season at our terminal, with 14 ships confirmed and approximately 30,000 passengers, between embarkation and disembarkation.

Celis emphasized that “this is great news for the commune of San Antonio, which can develop through the cruise industry. The terminal is prepared as every year to receive passengers and taking care of the Covid protocols, always for our workers and safe operation.