British based cruise operator, CMV Travel and Leisure Group Limited (CMV) has announced the deployment of its ship Magellan to the Pacific Coast of Mexico for winter 2019 to support the launch Cruceros Marítimos Vacacionales and Mexican Riviera cruise programme – aimed exclusively at the Mexican domestic market.

Magellan will start operations on 3 February 2019 with an introductory winter debut season of eight seven-night sailings homeporting from both Acapulco every Sunday and Manzanillo every Friday with the season finishing on 31 March 2019.

The voyages to and from the UK will be marketed internationally.

Christian Verhounig, CEO said: “CMV specialise in the development of dedicated source markets having successfully established markets and programs in the UK & Ireland, Germany, Australia and France. CMV will currently be the only exclusive Mexican cruise product available on the domestic leisure market. The Mexican market offers great potential and we plan to extend the season in 2020.”.

The itinerary will include calls to Manzanillo and Cabo San Lucas in the Baja California peninsula plus two days at sea.

Acapulco will be the primary gateway port serving the region of Guerrero and Mexico City.

Both Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta, apart from being transit calls will also provide secondary gateway ports to the cities of Guadalajara, Leon and the northern Mexico States.

John Dennis, vice president sales & marketing of the CMV North American Fort Lauderdale based sales office will assume responsibility for the commercial management and business development of the Mexican operation with a maiden season capacity of 12,000 passengers.

Dennis explained: “Following extensive development work over the past year which has involved numerous visits and meetings with many of the key stakeholders and Government officials, I am delighted that the Board have sanctioned this exciting and ground breaking new venture. We will be opening a dedicated sales office in Mexico City and officially launching Cruceros Marítimos Vacacionales and the debut 2019 Magellan program during Q1-2018 with big trade launch events planned in Mexico City, Acapulco, Guadalajara and Mazatlan, at the 2018 “Tianguis Turistico” the most important event of the tourism sector in Mexico.”

Special introductory fares will be on offer with deals for children and a 25% single supplement for the solo traveller market. Attractive honeymoon packages plus group deals offering further savings, free places and other benefits, will also be available.

Chris Coates, group commercial director, CMV, said: “With the recent growth of domestic tourism in Mexico we firmly believe that the market conditions are now suited to the launch of an authentic Mexican cruise product, multi-resort and vacation experience. The product will be very much tailored to Mexican tastes and aspirations. We believe that Magellan’s quality, size, bed configuration makes her ideally suited to this business with the focus very much on the domestic home market and developing a product for Mexico.”