The Norwegian shipping company and the Panamanian authorities signed a two-year agreement, starting on March 20, which will have Panama City as the base port of the Jewel cruise ship and will enhance the itineraries to the Panama Canal, the company reported on Tuesday.
The agreement was signed with the Panama Tourism Authority to offer 12 trips to the base port during the 2022 and 2023 cruise seasons, the Miami-based shipping company detailed.
The company indicated that it is the first cruise line with a “seasonal base port” in Panama City, offering round-trip trips to the Panama Canal.
“This new agreement allows nearly 24,000 passengers to experience the beauty of Panama each year, as well as its neighboring countries in Latin America,” said Frank Medina, vice president of sales for Latin America and the Caribbean for Norwegian Cruise Line in a statement.
In 2022 and 2023, the Company will offer 12 trips to the home port beginning with Norwegian Jewel on March 20 of next year, with a 9-day itinerary through the Panama Canal.
The trip includes visits to Costa Rica, Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, and Colombia, before arriving on the Caribbean side of Panama, in the city of Colón.
The new contract is part of a larger agreement that will provide Panama Canal transit benefits to Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. between 2022 and 2024.
NCL’s parent company, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., signed the agreement with the Panama Tourism Authority, which allows the shipping company to have a seasonal base port at the Colón cruise terminal as well as at Fuerte Amador, in the Pacific Ocean and adjacent to Panama City.
Additionally, beginning in January 2023, Norwegian Gem will offer select Panama Canal voyages, including an 11-day voyage visiting seven ports of call, before ending in New York City.
On December 6, 2023, Norwegian Joy will offer a 10-day voyage from Panama City (Fuerte Amador), Panama, visiting notable destinations such as Puerto Limón in Costa Rica.
“Part of our company’s mission is to create unforgettable experiences in some of the most special places in the world,” said Medina.