Cozumel will become a 'homeport' for Pullmantur cruises, the operator's Vicepresident and Director-General, Eduardo Barroso, told Mexico City newspaper, Excelsior, last week.

Pullmantur's "Ocean Dream"

From February 2010, the island will be the starting point for a new Mayan Caribbean cruise to 2 Mexican and 3 international ports.

The cruise will be designed primarily for Mexican tourists, with all onboard entertainment and services in Spanish.

Thanks to this and Cozumel's "strategic" position, Barroso said, Latin American vacationers could also be a market they can capture.

Pullmantur is a Spanish tour operator that offers international cruises, flights and vacation packages.

In November 2006, Royal Caribbean cruiselines bought Pullmantur's cruise operations and since then has expanded global operations.