Banana Coast, the newest cruise port in the western Caribbean, hosted its first mega cruise ship call at the deep-water Bay of Trujillo, Honduras. Norwegian Cruise Line’s 2,376-passenger Norwegian Jewel arrived October 15, 2014, launching the port’s inaugural cruise season with the first of 29 calls.

The port planned a ribbon-cutting ceremony that included government and community leaders from around the region. Invitees included Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández and Vice President Ricardo Alvarez. A traditional plaque exchange between representatives of the port and Captain Sven Kenneth Harstrom, master of Norwegian Jewel, also took place.

“Obviously, the community is very excited, and we’re prepared to show visitors why Trujillo is a special place,” said Randy Jorgensen, general manager of Grande Trujillo Autoridad, which developed the port. “We have been preparing for this for years, and we look forward to showing the guests and crew of Norwegian Jewel that Banana Coast is like no place else in the Caribbean.”

As travelers disembark tenders they will be greeted by local Garifuna musicians — dancers and performers in colorful attire. Establishments at the visitor center include a Jade Museum and jewelry shop, CocoLoco’s organic frozen coconuts, a duty-free liquor and gift shop, and a variety of kiosks offering refreshments and souvenirs. To welcome cruise travelers the community has erected bilingual signs, and personal Spanish-English translators will be on hand at the port to facilitate communication.

Banana Coast Tours offers 15 tours that include snorkeling, kayaking, waterfall explorations, horseback riding, beach breaks, nature expeditions, mangrove boat rides, jungle ATV adventures, and a variety of other cultural, historical and gastronomic excursions.

Six cruise lines have scheduled a total of 29 calls on eight ships at Banana Coast during the 2014-2015 winter Caribbean cruise season. Holland America Line was the first major cruise company to commit to a series of calls from November 2014 through March 2015. In addition to Norwegian Cruise Line and Holland America, Silversea Cruises has slated calls in December 2014 and March 2015, and P&O Cruises and Oceania Cruises plan to call in the first quarter of 2015.

Banana Coast, www.bananacoast.com