Banana Coast Named Most Improved Destination by Cruise Insight Magazine
Banana Coast, the newest cruise port in the western Caribbean located at Trujillo, Honduras, was named most improved destination by Cruise Insight magazine in its spring 2015 edition.
The port had a banner inaugural year with the arrival of 76,000 cruise guests and crew on 29 ship calls. Consumer reviews have been consistently positive and the call-by-call trend in approval rating is significantly upward.
“The port, the tour operator and the community worked extremely hard to show guests the real Trujillo and the authenticity of the area,” said Randy Jorgensen, general manager of Grande Trujillo Autoridad, which developed the port.
“The ability to immerse themselves in the local culture, history and natural beauty of the area has been a hit with passengers and we’re grateful to Cruise Insight magazine for the recognition.”
“We are pleased to acknowledge the ports and destinations who have delivered their product or service in an exemplary way during the past year,” said Chris Ashcroft, publisher and editor of Cruise Insight magazine. “Congratulations to Banana Coast and the community of Trujillo for a great first year and for showing that they have made a contribution to the industry through their commitment to deliver the land-based product that is demanded by cruise lines for guests and crew.”
Banana Coast was developed at the deepwater Bay of Trujillo and is the first cruise port on mainland Honduras. The port welcomed its first call Feb. 10, 2014. Its first mega-cruise ship, Norwegian Jewel, opened the 2014-15 cruise season with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by cruise guests, the community and government officials Oct. 15, 2014. Banana Coast Tours offers 19 excursions by land and water that include soft adventure, nature, cultural, historical and gastronomic tours.
Seven cruise lines have scheduled calls at Banana Coast for the 2015-16 Caribbean cruise season. Norwegian Cruise Line, Holland America Line, P&O Cruises, Silversea Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Thomson Cruises will call between October 2015 and April 2016.
About Cruise Insight
Cruise Insight, published by Ashcroft and Associates, is the magazine that asks all the right questions — it tells you not only what is happening in the cruise industry but also why and what it means. Comment, opinion, reaction and quotes from a cross section of industry leaders plus in-depth analysis and reports. The company also publishes supplements that are circulated with the magazine.
About Banana Coast
A new port by Life Vision Developments and Global Destinations Development brings the banana boom days back to life. Banana Coast is located at Trujillo, Honduras, and features retail shops and a 10-acre stretch of beach. Christopher Columbus landed there more than 500 years ago during his last voyage to the Americas and performed the first Catholic mass on the New World mainland. Since then, the area has been a Spanish colony and at various times was under the control of the Dutch, French, English — and pirates. During the early 20th century it was the banana export capital of the world, shipping more than 8 million banana stems annually. Today, visitors can enjoy the sun, sand, a nearby tropical rainforest and historic Santa Bárbara Fort, which was built in the late 16th century to protect Trujillo from pirates.
