It is Thursday again, my dear readers, and we are in the third week of the first month of this Year of the Dragon. Have you been working out or navigating your way at work after all that merrymaking with friends and family during the holiday season?

Some of us are back on normal work mode, while some are still in a holiday mood!

I’m talking about the retirees among us who are on vacay mode, crusin’ around the islands. Well, your golden years are a great time to kick back after all the sacrifices made over the past years and now it’s time to relax and take it easy.

The idea of retiring on a cruise ship and sailing the globe may be appealing to the more adventurous retirees. Life away from land with no mortgage to pay? Why not? On a cruise ship, all your meals are cooked for you, the ship’s staff will do the housekeeping for you, you meet new friends while getting to see the world! I mean what’s not to love about being retired, right?

Speaking of sailing on a cruise, Filipinos welcomed to our shores the first international cruise ship of 2024, the MV Vasco Da Gama owned by German cruise line Nicko Cruises which smoothly docked at four terminals overseen by the Philippine Ports Authority from 6 to 10 January.

The Vasco Da Gama carried 650 passengers, mostly German nationals, and a crew of 500, including over 150 Filipinos.

Departing from Hong Kong, the ship made its initial stop at Manila South Harbor on 6 January.

It smoothly sailed and docked at Coron and Puerto Princesa in Palawan before its final stop on 10 January in Bohol, which has been designated the Philippines’ first Unesco Global Geopark.

After a four-day visit to the country, the Vasco Da Gama set sail for Indonesia and Australia.

Did you know that in 2023, over 80,000 passengers on various cruise ships belonging to such companies as Norwegian Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Silverseas, Windstar Cruises, and AIDA visited the Philippines which has been recognized as the Best Cruise Destination in Asia by the World Cruise Award?

Thanks to the foresight of PPA GM Jay Santiago, Philippine ports have prepared ahead of time to avoid cruise chaos. Other than that, the PPA is continuously developing cruise terminals in prominent tourism sites like Siargao, Camiguin, Boracay, Palawan and Puerto Galera.

With each cruise ship arrival, the PPA collaborates with various stakeholders such as the Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Immigration, Bureau of Quarantine and local governments to carefully plan a seamless welcome for the passengers.

In Puerto Princesa, each docking cruise ship is viewed as an opportunity to extend services beyond port responsibilities. This perspective is crucial to enhancing cruise tourism in the country and stimulating local tourism to positively impact local employment.

Well, when it comes to sailing what’s better than cruising around the Philippine Islands?

Tropical weather, warm people, rich culture and traditions, colorful stories, as well as a taste of paradise on every island all add up to memorable experiences.

Whether it is a foreign visitor or local tourist looking for adventure and a breather from work, traveling by sea is definitely now a trend.

Next month, we have four international cruise ships coming to the islands of Panay and Guimaras, to Manila and the Ilocos.

Hop aboard and join the joys of cruise ship travel! After all, we are all in the same boat!