CORAL Adventure, an Australian cruise ship liner with some 73 Australian tourists, has made a port call in Eastern Visayas, with its first visit to Northern Samar’s Biri town for its iconic rock formations and Capul for its historic Galleon port, on Wednesday, November 1, 2023.
“We must be doing something good that cruise tour operators and ship cruise directors trust us to develop and deliver the right kind shore excursion experience,” said Karen Tiopes, Department of Tourism (DOT) regional director.
During their visit to the island town of Biri, the visitors had the “opportunity to fully immerse themselves in Danggitan Village.”
“[They] were truly captivated by the engaging stories surrounding San Bernardino Strait from World War II, shared with them at the Beach Camp,” DOT-Eastern Visayas said.
Aside from Biri and Capul, the cruise ship will visit Sambawan Island and Maripipi (Biliran), Babatnon and Tacloban City, Himulkilan Island, Inopacan and Canigao Island, Matalom (Leyte) this week.
“Two weeks from now, it's Limasawa and Padre Burgos (Southern Leyte), and Palompon (Leyte),” Tiopes wrote.
Meanwhile, the Northern Samar Provincial Tourism Office said that the cruise call of the Coral Adventure off Biri's iconic rock formations on November 1 “has sparked excitement.”
“This unique voyage to Biri Island harkens back to the island's glorious past, which was frequented by foreign navigators. Romano del Rosario, DOT trainer and onboard Coral Adventure attending to the needs of 73 Australian tourists, has hailed this cruise call as the first of its kind in Biri,” it said.
“The Coral Adventure's next stop within the day is the historic Galleon port of Capul in Northern Samar, marking the fourth visit to the historic town as the cruise call continues to attract visitors to the captivating Northern Samar seascape,” it added.
According to the provincial tourism office, the locals “took great joy in showcasing the Filipino brand of hospitality, with each conversation beginning and ending with the heartfelt greeting, ‘Mabuhay.’”
The cruise visit to Northern Samar was arranged in advance by Tiopes and Northern Samar's Tourism chief, Ma. Josette Doctor, together with the local government of Biri, headed by Mayor Amelita delos Reyes, Biri tourism officer Vicky Mabutin, and other stakeholders.
“The successful cruise call of the Coral Adventure is poised to have another round in the near future. Their meticulous planning and coordination ensured that the cruise call provided a seamless and unforgettable experience for the Australian tourists,” the provincial tourism office added.
On February 10 this year, luxury cruise ship Silver Shadow, with 330 guests onboard, also arrived in Palompon’s famed Kalanggaman Island, as the region was included among the top local and international destinations recommended by travel experts for “revenge travel” in the post-pandemic period. (SunStar Philippines)