Royal Caribbean Becomes First Line to Return to Mexico’s Cozumel

Royal Caribbean International’s Enchantment of the Seas was the first ship to return to Cozumel after the H1N1 flu scare forced cruise lines to cancel calls in Mexico.

The Enchantment arrived on May 27 with 2,446 passengers. The ship was greeted by Minister of Tourism Rodolfo Elizondo, Gov. Felix Gonzalez Canton, Mayor Juan Carlos Gonzalez, and Oscar Fitch, CEO of the Mexico Tourism Board.

On May 29, Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas visited Cozumel, followed by Carnival Cruise Lines’ Holiday the next day. The three ships created a much-needed economic stimulus of $580,000.

In addition, he said Mexican ports are expecting 39 cruise ship visits in the next 30 days; of those, 26 calls will be at Cozumel. The arrival of Freedom of the Seas coincides with the launch of the promotional campaign “Vive Mexico,” an initiative developed by the federal government with the goal of reactivating the tourism sector.

The island of Cozumel, known internationally for its tourism infrastructure, cliffs and snorkeling locations, is one of the first five cities certified by the Minister of Health as being “free of the H1N1 influenza virus,” and it is hoped that all activities in this destination will return to normalcy no later than June 15.