MAIDEN VOYAGE. M/V Claudine Star at the port in Tacloban City during its maiden voyage of the Tacloban-Cebu trip on Wednesday (Sept. 11, 2024). The return of passenger ships to this city will give more options for those traveling on a low budget to get to different destinations, Department of Tourism Eastern Visayas Regional Director Karina Rosa Tiopes said on Thursday (Sept. 12, 2024). (Photo courtesy of Dale Delloro)
TACLOBAN CITY – The return of passenger ships to this city will give more options for those traveling on a low budget to get to different destinations, an official of the Department of Tourism (DOT) said on Thursday.
DOT Eastern Visayas Regional Director Karina Rosa Tiopes said the resumption of the Cebu-Tacloban trip meets the strategic goals of the tourism department—connectivity, equality, and convenience.
“We’re giving our locals even those to choose another way to get to the destination, in our case going to Cebu. This is inclusivity since not everybody can afford an airplane ride. The more options for us, the better for all of us,” Tiopes told the Philippine News Agency.
On Sept. 11, Roble Shipping Inc. had its maiden voyage of the Tacloban-Cebu trip through M/V Claudine Star, the first passenger ship to operate at the city's port since 2008.
The launch marks the return of the Tacloban-Cebu trip by sea after 28 years. The last ship that ceased its operation was bound for Manila.
“This is really convenience since people don’t have to travel for hours to Ormoc or to the southern part of Leyte to catch a boat trip to Cebu,” Tiopes added.
The vessel sails from Cebu to Tacloban three times weekly every Friday, Sunday, and Tuesday. The ship leaves Cebu at 8 p.m. and arrives in Tacloban at 7 a.m.
From Tacloban, the ship leaves at 2:45 p.m. every Saturday, Monday, and Wednesday and arrives in Cebu at 2 a.m. the next day.
Tacloban port used to be one of the country’s busiest, with regular passenger sea vessel trips to Metro Manila and Cebu.
Since 2008, Tacloban has had no liners left when Sulpicio Lines was suspended from passenger operations that year after the MV Princess of the Stars sank during the onslaught of Typhoon Frank. It had been used only by cargo ships. (PNA)
