Sea of Cortez Cruise First for Rocky Point Port

[GerryBarker]

By Gerry Barker

SEATRADE  MIAMI_ Now Arizona has its own cruise port. Or at least, the closest thing to it.

Officials and media gathered at the Mexico booth to learn about Cruise and Maritime Voyages (CMV)'s planned cruises from Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point) into the Sea of Cortez, described by famed oceanographer Jacques Cousteau as the "world's aquarium."

Set to debut in December, the 12-day "Treasures of the Sea of Cortez"  will sail round-trip from Puerto Peñasco to ports of call in Sonora, Sinaloa, and Baja California Sur, including: Puerto Topolobampo, Mazatlan, Cabo San Lucas, La Paz, Loreto, Santa Rosalia, and Guaymas.

Rocky Point is 60 miles from the Arizona border and only a few hours drive from both Phoeniz and Tucson. Mexican officials at the event made a special point of saying travel to Rocky Point is safe. A “Safety Corridor” program between Sonoyta and Puerto Peñasco is maintained by authorities in Arizona and Sonora.

“This is an exciting project that we have been very much looking forward to announcing together with the Mexican states of Baja California Sur and Sonora and the state of Arizona – the first opportunity to cruise from Puerto Peñasco – Rocky Point!  Our new Treasures of the Sea of Cortez voyage takes travelers to discover some of the best kept secret destinations of Mexico from a beautiful seaside town conveniently located just outside Arizona,” said John Dennis, VP, Sales and Marketing for CMV USA in the press release.

Guests will be traveling on the historic ship, Astoria, originally launched in 1948 and restored to accomodate 550 passengers on eight decks.

The "Treasures of the Sea of Cortez" cruise includes:
⦁    The cruise program and accommodations category selected
⦁     All shipboard gratuities
⦁     Immersive and enriching lecture series throughout the cruise
⦁     House beer and wine included with lunches and dinner 

CMV also announed they will offer packages that will include hotel and transportation options to the Port of Peñasco, featuring stays in Phoenix, Tucson, and Peñasco. Scheduled to debut this December, fares will start at $1,599 per person.

Established in 2010, CMV provides diverse cruises departing from ports in the UK, Europe, and Mexico, operating small to mid-sized classic cruise ships carrying between 500 to 1,500 guests. CMV carries approximately 150,000 passengers annually and is headquartered in the UK with offices in the United States, Australia, Germany, Mexico and Greece.

Featured in the Photo: CMV and Mexican officials gather at SeaTrade Miami to announce the Sea of Cortez cruise (Photo by Gerry Barker)

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