Disney Cruise Line hosted local port officials and community leaders onboard the 2,700 passenger Disney Wonder for a plaque exchange ceremony today. These ceremonies are a maritime tradition and an opportunity for the Captain and the ship’s officers to celebrate the inaugural call on a new port, as well as for local officials and leaders to welcome the ship and guests to the community. The Port of Cartagena greeted the guests and crew members of the Disney Wonder with traditional music, folkloric dancing and an offering of mixed tropical fruit, as a symbol of hospitality.

“Cartagena offers our guests the opportunity to explore a rich and storied history, colonial Spanish architecture and plentiful sightseeing,” said Disney Cruise Line Captain Thord Haugen. “New ports of call encourage families to see the world while experiencing the legendary guest service and spectacular entertainment at sea only Disney can provide.”

While in Cartagena, guests can enjoy port adventures that range from taking a horse-drawn carriage along the cobblestone streets and flower-filled balconies of Plaza Santa Teresa; to paddling a canoe along the Coast Cienaga de la Virgen on an eco-tour of the Mangrove Caves, known for the abundance of tropical birds; to visiting The Rosario Islands, designated as a National Park and filled with coral reefs, sponges and other sea life.

The Disney Wonder will make its historic first visit to Cartagena while repositioning from Los Angeles to Miami. This is the first time a Disney ship will have a regional homeport in Southern Florida, allowing families from this area to take advantage of sailing from a port close to their own backyard. The Disney Wonder’s first itinerary from Miami will be a 7-night Eastern Caribbean Christmas holiday cruise on December 23, followed by a 6-night Western Caribbean New Year’s cruise departing December 30. In 2013, guests may sail 4-night Bahamian and 5-night Western Caribbean itineraries onboard the Disney Wonder until the end of April, when the ship returns to the West Coast and resumes Alaskan sailings from Vancouver.