Carnival Cruise Line will dock in Belize

As bad as the crime reports have been, the news from the tourism industry has been just the opposite. The latest positive development for Belize City tourism is the announcement that a new cruise line–the world’s largest–will begin regular service to Belize early next year. According to a BTB release, Florida based Carnival Cruise Line will begin visits to Belize in February. Carnival’s MS Tropical, with a capacity of over a thousand passengers, is expected to dock every Tuesday for an indefinite period. Two other larger Carnival ships, The Spirit and The Pride, have also made applications to include Belize on their itinerary. Tourism Minister Mark Espat says that Belizeans will feel the economic impact of the new arrivals and that the soon to be established Tourism Village planned for the Fort Point area will add to the quality and value of the cruise product. The new Carnival ships will join Belize’s traditional visitors, namely Premier Cruise Lines, the Norwegian Line, Regal and Holland America. Cruise visitors to Belize opt for a number of different activities including trips to Xunantunich, Altun Ha, Lamanai, the Belize Zoo, the cayes and Belize City tours.