Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Eyes to Become Next Cruise Ship Playground

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is keen on positioning its port to become the next playground for Royal Caribbean cruise ships starting next year.

SBMA chairman and administrator Wilma T. Eisma, who met over the weekend with Dr. Zinan Liu and other officials of Royal Caribbean International (RCI), on Tuesday said that the Subic community is hoping to generate more investments in the growing cruise ship tourism industry in the Asian region.

“We hope that Subic would be the next cruise ship playground. And we are very excited over this prospect,” Eisma said, adding that Subic can offer the best tourism facilities and services for cruise passengers and crew, highly memorable and tailored tourism experiences to meet the expectations of the cruise’s clients, and a safe environment that would be very conducive to the cruise business.

The RCI, which is a cruise line brand based in Miami, Florida and owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCCL), a global cruise vacation company which controls 22 percent of the cruise market worldwide, is said to be scouting for newer attractions for the growing Asian cruise ship market.

Eisma stressed that her administration is positioning Subic as the new Asian destination to meet such growing demand.

During the preliminary meeting with another RCI team headed by Capt. Nikolaos Antalis in November this year, it was noted that because of its gigantic size, Oasis of the Seas could only use the Port of Subic, among the many ports in the Philippines.

The MS Oasis of the Seas is said to provide some of the most modern cruise experiences today with facilities like the Central Park, Boardwalk, Royal Promenade, Pool and Sports Zone, Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center, Entertainment Place, and Youth Zone, which features a surf simulator, cantilevered whirlpools suspended 112 feet above the ocean, and zip line.

The ship can carry over 6,000 passengers and 3,900 crews and officers in its 16 passenger decks.

Eisma also said that the RCI officials were impressed over the potential of the Subic Bay area, noting that it has attractions in culture, history, and religion, aside from modern amenities.

Last July, RCCL Vice President for New Business Development John Tercek also visited Subic to assess its readiness as a cruise ship destination.

Eisma said Tercek similarly cited the potentials of Subic and advised the SBMA to step up efforts in developing the free port to address the demand.