With the arrival of the Viking Polaris at the Molo Terminal, the Port of Iquique officially began the 2025-2026 cruise season. It is expected that at least 10 passenger ships will arrive at the port facility, as indicated by the Empresa Portuaria Iquique (EPI).
“With this first port call, the Port of Iquique begins a new season that will strengthen the link between port activity and regional tourism, consolidating the city’s image as a gateway to the north of Chile,” the state-owned company communicated.
The vessel, belonging to the Norwegian company Viking Cruises, is 205 meters long and arrived from Lima, Peru, with about 600 cruise passengers on board. Its itinerary includes stops in Valparaíso and a visit to the southern extreme in areas such as Ushuaia (Argentina) and Puerto Williams.
In this regard, the general manager of Empresa Portuaria Iquique, Rubén Castro, emphasized that “these port calls reaffirm Iquique’s vocation as an attractive tourist destination for cruises. Although this season presents a lower number of ships compared to the previous period – a reflection of the global effects that have affected this industry as indicated by the Corporación de Puertos Conosur – the city maintains its strategic positioning and these visits are expected to favor the development of tourism and the local economy.”
The next call of a tourist vessel will take place on Monday, October 27, with the expected arrival of the cruise ship Viking Octantis, a sister ship of the Viking Polaris and also part of the expedition fleet of the Viking Cruises line.
In order to guarantee a safe, agile, and high-level experience for passengers and crew, Empresa Portuaria Iquique (EPI) led multisectoral coordination meetings with organizations and entities involved in the operation.
Shipping agencies, tour operators, Sernatur, the Regional Ministerial Secretariat of Transport and Telecommunications, the Regional Ministerial Secretariat of Public Security, the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG), Carabineros, the Port Captaincy, the Municipality of Iquique, and other actors linked to the city’s tourism and logistics development participated in these instances.
