Starting next month, November 2020, international cruise ships will begin docking in Puerto Vallarta after lines begin gradually touring again.

According to the president of the Mexican Cruise Association, Arturo Musi Ganem, Norwegian Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Lines have confirmed their return to the Mexican Riviera, with calls in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán and Cabo San Lucas, in the second half of November.

The first shipping line that announced its return to the Mexican Riviera was Norwegian Cruise Line, whose Norwegian Bliss, the winner of Condé Nast Traveler's 2019 Hot List Award, is scheduled to arrive at Puerto Vallarta's new Puerto Mágico on Wednesday, November 24, 2020.

Carnival Cruise Line also reported that the new Carnival Panorama - which made its inaugural cruise shortly before the pandemic - would be returning to the Mexican Riviera in mid- to late- November. Musi Ganem said the rest of the cruise lines that regularly sail the Mexican Riviera are expected to return to their pre-pandemic schedules in January and February of 2021.

He added that all international cruise ships on this route will have all health security protocols in place, including medical-grade air-filters, continuous disinfection of public areas, passenger and crew health screenings and lower passenger capacity, to reduce the risk of contagion from the coronavirus.

Source: Banderas News

Five Canadian airlines will resume their operations to Vallarta-Nayarit beginning this October.

Companies that will restart their activities during the next season are Swoop, Westjet, Sunwing, Air Canada and Air Transat. These Airlines connect our destination with cities like Winnipeg, Toronto, Vancouver and Quebec, among others.

Currently, Canada represents the second most important foreign market for Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit, after the United States. Every year, thousands of Canadians travel to this Pacific region to enjoy a more pleasant climate, as well as the beautiful beaches and all the attributes that characterizes the lush Banderas Bay.

It should be noted that Puerto Vallarta International Airport was recently certified with the Airport Health Accreditation (AHA) given by the Airports Council International (ACI), so the passengers’ and collaborators’ health and safety is a priority.

Source: Vallarta Lifestyles

With most of the traditional Independence Day celebrations around the country cancelled due to the global pandemic, let’s take this time to remember the event that changed our history forever.

The Grito de Dolores (better known as El Grito, the Cry for independence) celebrated every year on the night between September 15th and 16th is a Mexican holiday par excellence, it is the night when all citizens of Mexico celebrate their independence from the Spanish conquerers.

Since the arrival of Hernán Cortés in 1521 and the conquest of the area, what is now Mexico was called New Spain.

Influenced by the concepts established by French philosophers like Rousseau, Voltaire and Montesquieu and USA's War of Independence, the Criollos (Spanish descendants born in America) who were treated as second-class subjects, decided to start an uprising.

At 5:00 am on September 16, 1810, the Priest Miguel Hidalgo, accompanied by several other co-conspirators, Ignacio Allende, Doña Josefina Ortiz de Domínguez, rang the bells of his small church in the town now called Dolores Hidalgo, calling everyone to fight for freedom, which is known as "El Grito de Dolores" (the announcement, or cry, of Dolores). One of the crucial moments in Mexican history.

You can read the rest of he article HERE.

The sixteenth edition of Restaurant Week started on September 15 and will run until October 10, 2020 in Riviera Nayarit and Puerto Vallarta.

Eugenio Morales, CEO of Vinoteca de México (vinoteca.com), which also sponsors Restaurant Week this year, highlighted the importance of reinventing ourselves in these times: “Looking back, we can say that we have known how to adapt. Although there is still much work to be done, as a company we have sought that our collaborators, both internal and external, feel the support and affection that moves us to offer them the best service and quality of products. At the end, what we seek is to add value to our business partners and to society in general”.

Organized by Vallarta Lifestyles Media Group, Restaurant Week has the support of the Riviera Nayarit Visitors and Conventions Bureau, as well as the different tourism authorities of Puerto Vallarta, in the promotion at the national and international level.

The complete list of the 49 participating restaurants, as well as their exquisite menus, can be consulted at restaurantweekpv.com/en/participantes.

Source: Vallarta Lifestyles

The Airports Council International (ACI) has recently certified the Puerto Vallarta International Airport, along with eleven other airports from the Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP), with the Airport Health Accreditation.

The measurements used for the AHA program align with the ACI Aviation Business Restart and Recovery guidelines; the ICAO Council, a United Nations Specialized Agency; as well as the joint health protocols of the European Aviation Safety Agency and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.

Aspects assessed during the AHA accreditation process include strict cleaning and disinfection practices, the promotion of physical distancing by altering the layout of staff and passenger facilities, protection of personnel and communication with passengers.

Through these ACI health accreditation standards, travelers can be confident that certified airports are prioritizing passengers' and staff members' health and safety in standardized, established ways.

Beyond the airport, the city of Puerto Vallarta continues to work with the tourism sector, not only to improve the travel experience, but also its biosecurity through comprehensive actions to preserve the health of visitors, which extend to hotels, restaurants, shops, service providers and many other public areas, such as the beaches and the Malecón.

This means that from the moment your plane's wheels touch down at the Puerto Vallarta International Airport until you board the flight that takes you home, you can rest assured that the community is committed to creating a safe and healthy environment for visitors.

Source: Banderas News