Above: San Juan (CJ Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Puerto Rico set a new single-day record for cruise visitors on Wednesday, according to the Puerto Rico Tourism Company.

A total of six ships and 17,847 passengers arrived to the docks of Old San Juan on Wednesday, surpassing the previous record of 16,712 passengers, set Jan. 8, 2015.

“The arrival of the 17,847 cruise passengers represents an economic impact of about $2 million to the economy of Puerto Rico,” said Luis D. Muñiz Martínez, deputy director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company. “Our efforts to promote the island as a cruise destination continue to make Puerto Rico the five-star destination of choice in the region.”

The totals come following improvements to a pair of piers in San Juan, which allowed for the arrival of Disney Cruises and for the arrival of the Quantum of the Seas mega-ship.

“We have returned trust to the Port of San Juan’s cruise industry, projecting an even greater increase in this important sector over the next years,” said Ingrid Colberg Rodriguez, Executive Director of the Port Authority.

The record-breaking ships included Quantum of the Seas, Disney Fantasy, MSC Divina, Carnival Glory, Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam, all in just six hours.