World’s Largest Cruise Ship Cancels Visit to Costa Rica

THE mammoth Queen Mary II may be the world’s largest passenger cruise ship, but the waters off Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast proved too much for it this week when inclement weather caused the cancellation of the ship’s scheduled visit to the port of Moín, in the eastern province of Limón.

In addition, there was miscommunication about the depth of the boat and the water where the ship was to dock, which could have caused problems if the Queen Mary II attempted to approach the port, the daily Al Día reported.

Marisol González, spokeswoman for Cunard cruise lines, which owns the ship, said the Queen Mary II could not dock at Moín on Wednesday morning as planned because of concern for passenger safety.

Israel Oconitrillo, spokesman for the Atlantic Port Authority (JAPDEVA), told ACAN-EFE hundreds of people had come to see the ship and that authorities had been preparing for the visit “for months.”

Tourism Minister Rodrigo Castro, Limón Mayor Roger Rivera and JAPDEVA President Rolando Lee Bastos were all scheduled to participate in a welcome ceremony at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.

The Queen Mary II, registered in England, can carry 2,600 passengers and a crew of 1,400. It offers five restaurants, four bars, five pools, a conference center, a mini-golf course, a movie theater and a library, among other services.

Its first journey of this cruise-ship season began in New York; in addition to Costa Rica, the ship was scheduled to stop in St. Thomas, Curaçao and Panama before returning to New York.

The ship is scheduled to visit the Pacific port of Caldera on Feb. 17 and March 13.