SM subsidiary raises the bar in sea travel

CEBU, Philippines — SM Group’s subsidiary, 2GO, is pioneering a sea travel experience in the Philippines, redefining domestic maritime journeys by offering passengers a cruise-like adventure filled with leisure, shopping and entertainment activities on board.

Through its movement dubbed #ShipNatinTo, 2GO strengthened its commitment to bring local sea travel a notch higher, with the introduction of Café 2GO, and more retail establishments like Watsons, Kultura, and Miniso.

Under the banner of #ShipNatinTo, 2GO reaffirms its dedication to elevating local sea travel. This commitment takes form with the debut of Café 2GO and an expanded array of retail offerings, including popular brands like Watsons, Kultura, and Minino, further enhancing the passenger experience.

The newest addition to its expanding choice of food and beverage outlets is the Café 2GO, which offers signature coffee blends featuring a diverse menu of snacks, including sandwiches, pastas, and breakfast meals, complementing your favorite coffee. Indulge in beloved coffee blends alongside Filipino pasalubong favorites like Goldilocks and Brownies Unlimited, making Café 2GO the ultimate haven for relaxation during sea travel.

In October, 2GO is making travel from Manila to Puerto Princesa and Coron more convenient with a revamped weekend schedule, offering Friday afternoon departures from Manila and Monday morning returns. This provides an ideal opportunity for enriching weekend getaways to and from these stunning destinations.

2GO is also introducing passenger callouts from Batangas to Tagbilaran, Cagayan, Cebu, and Butuan, along with nine voyages a week to Caticlan, opening exciting exploration opportunities for travelers from Southern Luzon. Furthermore, there are now more scheduled routes from Cebu and Cagayan de Oro traveling four trips per week connecting these vibrant cities to Manila.

Returning to sea in October, MV 2GO Maligaya boasts significant upgrades designed to accommodate more passengers to exciting destinations across the Philippines. With an additional passenger capacity of 200, MV 2GO Maligaya is poised to bring in more sea travelers on memorable journeys one island at a time.

“2GO guides passengers to a gateway of incredible adventures and cherished memories. Our commitment lies in enhancing the sea travel experience, enjoying more of our world-class Philippine destinations, and crafting memorable moments with our loved ones,” said Blessie Cruz, Senior assistant vice president and head for marketing.

With #ShipNatinTo movement, 2GO announced its latest sale for travel from November 1 onwards and experience 2GO Travel’s elevated sea travel from Manila to Bacolod, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Coron, Dipolog, Dumaguete, Iloilo, Puerto Princesa, Ozamiz, Tagbilaran and Zamboanga and vv. Or travel within VISMIN from Cebu to Cagayan de Oro, Butuan and Ozamiz.

In an earlier interview with Cruz, she said that the “revenge travel” effects are not only happening on air but also travelers are taking sea travel to explore the different islands in the country.

“Whatever the airline is experiencing (in terms of passenger count), it is the same with shipping. We are also experiencing revenge travel,” said Cruz.

2GO Travel, a subsidiary of SM Group, is investing in providing enhanced and unique onboard experiences for sea travelers, making sea travel a cruise-like experience, she reiterated.

Cruz mentioned a study recently released, which revealed that there is still a huge chunk of Filipinos who prefer to travel by sea, due to affordability. And slow travel has also become a trend as passengers ‘pause and enjoy’ the time on board, “without rush.”

She cited that aside from the affordability of sea travel, passengers are also taking boats going to their destinations making the travel time their “me time.”

“Sea travel is also for a leisure traveler who is open to ideas and unique experiences,” she added. Because the company is part of the retail conglomerate SM, Cruz said it is putting brands on board, so that passengers can shop and enjoy the travel.

According to Cruz, raising the bar of sea travel experience in the Philippines, is part of 2GO’s goals to attract the hyper young travelers, re-introducing the best sea travel experience. 2GO Travel plies nine times weekly from Cebu to Cagayan de Oro, Butuan, Ozamis, and Metro Manila.