The arrival of the cruise ship Serenade of the Seas to the Pacific port of Puntarenas yesterday marked the close of the 2005-2006 cruise season, according to a statement from the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT).

At a ceremony attended by Tourism Minister Carlos Ricardo Benavides, legislators and representatives from the Pacific Port Authority (INCOP) and Royal Caribbean cruise operator, the statistics were presented.

This season, Costa Rica received 280,017 visitors from 192 ships, including the world’s largest cruise slip, Great Britain ’s Queen Mary II, which arrived to the Pacific port of Caldera March 13.

Seventy-two ships arrived to the Pacific ports of Caldera and Puntarenas, 10 more than last year, and 120 ships arrived to the Caribbean port of Limón, the statement said.

The arrival of cruise ships to these ports is an important source of revenue for the country, as many small and medium businesses depend on income generated from tourists aboard them, the statement said.

-Tico Times