Port Valparaíso Kicks Off 2026-2027 Cruise Season with 30 Calls
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Port Valparaíso launched the 2026-2027 cruise season on Saturday, October 17, with the call of the MS Fridtjof Nansen, operated by HX Expeditions. The welcome ceremony was led by the mayors of Valparaíso and Viña del Mar, Camila Nieto and Macarena Ripamonti. The schedule includes 30 port calls planned through April of next year, representing a 25% increase over the previous season.
Vessel visit
During the ship's stay in port, the mayors and other authorities—including the Chairman of the Board of Puerto Valparaíso, Gonzalo Le Dantec, the regional economy secretary (seremi), Cristian Mella, and the regional director of Sernatur, Carolina Carrasco—met with the ship's captain, Jorn Bowitzy, and toured the vessel's facilities. Le Dantec highlighted that the 25% increase in cruise calls is good news for the port and the city, and underscored the joint effort with the municipalities of Valparaíso, Viña del Mar and Concón to showcase the area to cruise passengers.
Remarks from the mayors
Mayor Nieto stated that for the Municipality of Valparaíso it is essential to maintain cruise calls given their impact on tourism and employment, and called for progress on building a priority dedicated cruise berth to give the industry certainty, while the municipality continues strengthening cleanliness, security and the city's tourism offerings. Ripamonti, for her part, said that Viña del Mar is pleased to open the season together with Valparaíso and Concón, and noted that the arrival of new tourists drives economic development in the region's communes.
Tourism impact
Regional economy secretary (seremi) Cristian Mella stated that the season positions Valparaíso as an international tourist destination and boosts the local economy, benefiting tour operators, hoteliers, restaurants and small businesses amid a challenging employment context. Carolina Carrasco, from Sernatur, recalled that the region recently received the Best Travel Awards prize as the best cruise destination and noted that efforts are underway to ensure visitors have a good experience and return.
About the vessel
The MS Fridtjof Nansen arrived from the port of Callao, Peru, and its next destination is Niebla, in the Los Ríos region. It is a Norwegian-flagged adventure tourism vessel that uses eco-friendly batteries to navigate icy waters, with capacity for 500 passengers and equipped to move safely through ice floes.
