After more than a year of COVID-related cancellations, cruise ships are back in Oaxaca, led by The World, a luxury residential yacht that arrived this past weekend at Bahías de Huatulco, a resort destination on the Oaxaca coast.

The ship, which calls itself the largest private property residential yacht in the world, arrived with more than 350 resident-tourists who were expected to spend more than US $25,000 per day as a group.

The 644-foot ship’s passengers stay in owned or rented apartment-sized cabins that the company refers to as residences — accommodations that can have up to three bedrooms and other amenities like living rooms and a kitchen.

The visitors will explore not only Huatulco but also other Oaxaca destinations, including Puerto Escondido, the Magical Town of Mazunte, coffee plantations and the lagoons of Chacahua and Manialtepec.

This cruise season will be guided by strict health safety measures, said state Tourism Minister Juan Carlos Rivera Castellanos. The guidelines have been approved by the state health ministry and are part of a state effort to position itself as a safe tourism destination.

Oaxaca also has received the “Safe Travels” stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council, a certification for high standards of health and hygiene protocols.

The state expects to welcome between 27 and 31 ships this tourist season, with an average of 1,900 passengers per ship. Passengers typically spend US $50 to $70 a day, Rivera said.

With reports from Milenio