MANILA — The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has suspended the permit to operate of Ben Line Agencies and TravelPeople Ltd. Inc for 30 days due to the “disorganized disembarkation” incident related to the MV Norwegian Jewel cruise ship that docked on the Port of Manila on November 30.

Ben Line is responsible for the logistical requirements of the said cruise ship while TravelPeople is the shore excursion agent.

According to PPA, it was not satisfied with the explanation of the two companies regarding the “disorganized disembarkation process that affected thousands of passengers.”

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In a Facebook post that had went viral, a passenger identified as Nelson Terible complained about the poor service upon their arrival.

“This kind of incident is unacceptable especially since there were pre-arrival meetings to prepare for the Turnaround call where about 2,300 passengers will disembark and 2,500 passengers will also board the cruise ship,” PPA General Manager Jay Santiago said in a statement.

He said different agencies will meet again to prepare for another cruise ship that will dock on January 6, 2024. More than 3,000 tourists are expected.

“They (Ben Line Agencies and TravelPeople) will not be able to provide services, and probably another agent or service provider will be engaged by the arriving cruise ship. We will not allow this incident to happen again because it is embarrassing to those who visit the country,” Santiago said.

"The Philippines was considered the Best Cruise Destination in Asia in 2023, and for its part, the PPA has been improving our ports to promote tourism. So our partners should also improve in servicing passengers. We just want to correct the deficiencies in the viral post and we also thank Mr. Terible for bringing this to the public’s attention,” Santiago added.