Subic Bay Freeport, Philippines – MV Spectrum of the Seas, the largest cruise ship operating in Asia today, made its maiden port call here last week, capping Subic Bay Freeport’s stellar performance this year as the region’s emerging cruise ship destination.
Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) welcomed the almost 5,000 foreign tourists who arrived on the ship.
More than 20 tourist buses were fielded for the guests, who toured various attractions in Subic and in the nearby communities.
The MV Spectrum of the Seas is the first Quantum-Ultra-class cruise ship built for Royal Caribbean International, the world’s largest cruise line in terms of revenue and second largest by passenger count.
The ship is the biggest and the most expensive cruise ship to sail in Asia and features Royal Caribbean’s first private enclave for suite guests, new stateroom categories and innovative dining concepts on top of amenities like outdoor and indoor pools, body and mind spa, fitness center, rock-climbing wall, sports court, splash-away bay and an outdoor movie screen.
Spectrum of the Seas can accommodate 5,622 passengers, as well as 1,551 crewmembers.
According to SBMA records, Subic received a total of 19 cruise ships in 2018, which marked the start of the agency’s cruise tourism program. The arrivals yielded a total of 38,205 visitors, and earned the SBMA Seaport Department P8.4 million in direct revenues.