Luxury ships dock in Ilocos Norte

CURRIMAO, Ilocos Norte – MS The World, the world’s largest privately-owned residential yacht with 200 residents on board, docked in Currimao, Ilocos Norte earlier this week.

The residents were treated to the cultural sites like the UNESCO World Heritage Site St. Augustine Church and the Malacañang of the North, both in Paoay, and other tourist attractions in Laoag, Batac and Badoc town.

MS The World, operated by ROW Management Ltd., is equipped with 165 luxury apartments and features a casino, a full-size tennis court, a golf simulator, a jogging track and a theater, among others.

Angel Lao, head of Ilocos Norte Travel and Tours, said that the passengers only had eight hours to go around and thus were limited in what they could see of the province. “Hopefully in the future, if The

World has longer time or if they stay overnight, we can bring them as far as Pagudpud,” he added.

After its maiden arrival in Ilocos Norte, The

World next stopped in Cebu before returning to Hong Kong.

Also this week, the

Spectrum of the Seas of the Royal Caribbean International completed its second call at the Salomague Port in Ilocos Sur with thousands of international passengers visiting Ilocandia. The ship will come back on Feb. 26.

The Ilocos Norte tourism office expects more dockings in the future as the tourism department and the national government pledged their support in developing Ilocos Norte ports to make the province one of the main cruise ports in the country.

Ilocos Norte has welcomed a steady stream of international cruise ships, leading to sustained tourist development, local livelihood and employment enhancement in the province.