2017/18 cruise season underway at SA ports
The South African cruise season typically runs from October/early November to late April/early May.
MORE than 20 luxury cruise ships operated by 17 international cruise lines will call at South Africa’s ports during the 2017/18 cruise season.
Transnet National Ports Authority’s Chief Executive, Shulami Qalinge said: “As the South African Port Authority we have positioned Durban and Cape Town as stimulus cruise home ports while Richards Bay, Mossel Bay, Port Elizabeth and East London continue to receive their share of cruise ships. World-class cruise facilities in our ports will continue to attract global operators, which has economic spinoffs for tour operators, hotels, game reserves, lodges and tourist attractions in our port cities,” she said.
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On 30 October MSC Sinfonia became the first international cruise liner to arrive at the Port of Durban for the 2017/18 cruise season, carrying around 2 300 mainly European and South African passengers and ending off a 23-day itinerary from Venice in Italy.
While Semester at Sea’s ‘floating college campus’ World Odyssey made a return to Cape Town early last month, it is Phoenix Reisen’s Albatros which is regarded as the first true cruise ship of the season to call at the country’s other cruise ports. Her South African leg kicked off on 8 November in Cape Town and her other ports of call are Mossel Bay, Port Elizabeth, East London, Durban and Richards Bay.
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TNPA is at the tail end of negotiations and will shortly finalise its Terminal Operator Agreement with KwaZulu Cruise Terminal Pty Ltd (KCT) for design, financing, construction, operation, maintenance and Transfer of the new Cruise Terminal Facility for a 25 year concession period in the Port of Durban.
These Durban passenger terminal projects fall under the Section 56 allowance of the National Ports Act 12 of 2005 which mandates TNPA to enter into agreements with private companies to design, develop, construct, maintain and operate facilities to ensure the provision of port services. TNPA’s intention is for the terminals to be integrated with their cities and to allow secondary uses such as for events, meetings and conferences.
The South African cruise season typically runs from October/early November to late April/early May. Visit: www.transnetnationalportsauthority.net.
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