This country has 7000 islands. Ships are finally discovering it

I’ve long been frustrated at the lack of cruise choices in the Philippines. The country seems made for cruising: more than 7000 verdant islands, gloriously beautiful scenery, coral reefs rising in electric-blue waters. Spanish-colonial heritage and World War II history add to the mix.

This archipelago has a warm climate and some of the world’s friendliest people too, as anyone who likes cruising will already know. About half of all cruise ships’ crew members hail from the Philippines.

This nation is on the cusp of cruise discovery, however. The Philippine Ports Authority says it expects 300,000 cruise ship passengers to visit this year, up 275 per cent from last year, though admittedly in 2023 cruises had only just resumed after COVID. In 2019, the Philippines logged 213,765 passengers.

Mamangal Beach in the Philippines.Credit: Coral Expeditions

Passengers are arriving off a more diverse range of cruise lines such as Norwegian, Heritage Expeditions, Holland America Line, Silversea, Regent Seven Seas, Royal Caribbean and Windstar.

This is no surprise, since the Philippines government is pursuing a national cruise development plan, which includes positioning Manila as a home port, as well as for ships just passing through. It also aims to make Manila an Asian centre for crew training and ship maintenance.

Coron is the crown jewel of the sumptuous Palawan archipelago, featuring karst outcrops rising from turquoise lagoons filled with a wonder of tropical fish and corals.Credit: iStock

Until recently, cruise ships mostly confined themselves to Manila, Boracay and Puerto Princesa in Palawan. Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park features caverns the size of cathedrals spiked with stalactites and stalagmites, which passengers on land excursions explore by boat.

In future, cruise ships are expected to visit other destinations such as Bohol, Leyte and Samar, as well as Misamis in northern Mindanao.

New or extended cruise terminals are boosting passenger capacity and the ability to support larger ships. This year a new passenger terminal opened at Batangas, a city south of Manila best known for its beaches, marine diversity, mountains and food scene, particularly its mouth-watering lechon (roast pig). A new terminal opens in surfing hot spot Siargao Island later this year.

The cruise terminal in Coron, Palawan was renovated in 2023. The crown jewel of the sumptuous Palawan archipelago features karst outcrops rising from turquoise lagoons filled with a wonder of tropical fish and corals.

Philippine authorities are also aiming to develop terminals in destinations such as Camigui and Puerto Galera, and extend those in Boracay. Boracay, a popular beach resort for Asian tourists, recently emerged from several years of environmental regeneration.

The possibilities seem almost unlimited. Expedition lines visit numerous small ports and islands. Coral Expeditions, for example, sails an occasional 16-night Island Trails of the Philippines cruise between Keelung in Taiwan and Manila, taking in destinations such as Palaui, Polillo and the Catanduanes islands, among many others.

In 2023, the Philippines won the title of best cruise destination in Asia at the World Cruise Awards. Given its splendid assets, it has a good chance of bagging plenty more awards in future.