21 DECEMBER 2023, MANILA — The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) put the hammer down as it slapped a 30-day suspension against ship agent Ben Line Agencies, Inc. and shore excursion provider TravelPeople Ltd. after a cruise disembarkation fiasco at the Port of Manila went viral.
After a thorough investigation of the chaos that occurred during the docking of the MV Norwegian Jewel cruise ship at the Port of Manila last November 30, the regulator has suspended the Permit to Operate (PTO) of Ben Line Agencies and TravelPeople Ltd. for a period of thirty (30) days.
According to PPA PMO NCR South Port Manager Catherine Esto, her office was not satisfied with the explanation made by both companies about the disorganized disembarkation process that affected thousands of passengers.
PPA General Manager Jay Santiago, for his part, said the suspension period will give the operators more time to review their processes to further improve their services and ensure that a similar incident does not happen again.
“This kind of incident is unacceptable especially since there were pre-arrival meetings to prepare for the Turnaround call where about 2,300 passengers will disembark and 2,500 passengers will also board the cruise ship,” Santiago emphasized.
The PPA GM was referring to the viral complaint posted on Facebook by a passenger, Nelson Terible, about the poor service after their arrival last November 30 at the Manila South Harbor.
With their permits suspended for 30 days, PPA said Ben Line Agencies and TravelPeople will not be allowed to provide services for another cruise tour scheduled to arrive on January 6, 2024.
“They (Ben Line Agencies and TravelPeople) will not be able to provide services, and probably another agent or service provider will be engaged by the arriving cruise ship. We will not allow this incident to happen again because it is embarrassing to those who visit the country,” Santiago lamented.
According to Santiago, the PPA continues to improve port facilities to receive big cruise ships as the Philippines was named Best Cruise Destination in Asia for 2023.
"The Philippines was considered the Best Cruise Destination in Asia in 2023, and for its part, the PPA has been improving our ports to promote tourism. So our partners should also improve in servicing passengers. We just want to correct the deficiencies in the viral post and we also thank Mr. Terible for bringing this to the public’s attention,” added Santiago.
The PPA GM said various agencies will meet again to prepare for the arrival of a cruise ship that will dock at the Port of Manila on January 6, 2024 where more than 3,000 tourists are expected to disembark.
He said "shared accountability" between the various government agencies and private service providers is important in identifying where possible deficiencies lie.
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