Regarded one of – if not THE best – luxury liners in the world, the MS Europa arrived in Boracay Island with some 750 European tourists and crew on board. The Department of Tourism (DOT) in Boracay said the MS Europa docked at the Cagban jetty port in Boracay Island where several local government officials in Aklan and concerned lined government agencies gave a warm welcome for the visiting tourists. The DOT said the Cagban jetty port was turned into a virtual Ati-Atihan Festival with the deafening beat of bass drums and performances by the Black Beauty Boys who danced to the rhythm of drum beats to the elation of the foreign tourists. The Black Beauty Boys is the current reigning grand champion among Ati-Atihan tribes which competed during the recent Ati-Atihan 2013 Festival in Kalibo, Aklan. MS Europa’s arrival had been preceded by two other cruise liners which visited Boracay – the MV Legends of the Sea which came in 2012, and the MS Columbus which sailed and dropped anchor here in January this year. The DOT said three more cruise liners are expected to visit Boracay in 2014, and another four to follow suit in 2015, all part of efforts by the DoT to make Boracay island the cruise ship destination in the country. Operated and owned by German company, Hapag-Lloyd, the MS Europa, for over 12 years in a row now, has been awarded the title, “best cruise ship in the world” by Ward-Ranking and Berlitz. Douglas Ward, author of the Berlitz cruise guides and who has been described as the “world’s foremost cuisine expert,” has consistently awarded the ship a 5-star-plus ranking, making the MS Europa the only cruise ship in the world with this distinction. Source:- http://goodnewspilipinas.com/2013/03/26/worlds-best-cruise-ship-ms-europa-drops-anchor-in-boracay/
Yup. Good and bad, I suppose, bad from a personal selfish point of view but good for our Filipino families from an economic point of view.
In fairness these are just round the worlders, it is not the same as having locally based ships dropping in every day, which has done so much to wreck the prettier bits of the Caribbean.
