MSC mega cruise ship makes stop in Durban amid Red Sea safety concerns

MSC Virtuosa – the biggest cruise ship to dock in a South African port – called at the Port of Durban’s Nelson Mandela Cruise Terminal this week on a ‘technical stop’ to refuel and stock up as part of her return journey to Europe, after being diverted to avoid risks in the Red Sea.

The ship, which can accommodate over 6 300 passengers and has around 1700 crew, arrived in Durban on Sunday and left around midday on Monday. However, it did not have any passengers on board on its debut in SA waters.

Another giant cruise ship, the Queen Mary 2, is also in SA waters – for the second time in three months. Local ports are benefiting from vessels avoiding the Red Sea, as Yemen-based Houthi rebels are targeting container, cruise, and other ships that would normally use the Suez Canal to access or head back to Europe.

MSC Cruises South Africa CEO Ross Volk told Moneyweb that MSC Virtuosa’s stopover was not just to avoid the Red Sea area, but ‘a deliberate call to the continent and Durban’ to showcase the mega vessel and the new cruise terminal.

ALSO READ: German navy repels Huthi attack in Red Sea

MSC, which is a global player in the shipping and cruising industry, owns a major stake in the Nelson Mandela Cruise Terminal.

The terminal – built at a cost of around R300 million together with MSC’s local empowerment partners, was complete in 2021. It began operating once Covid restrictions were lifted, but was only officially launched at an event with President Cyril Ramaphosa and MSC bosses in November last year.

“The MSC Virtuosa can carry over 8000 people, including passengers and crew, and weighs over 181 000 tons. This makes it the largest cruise vessel ever to dock and sail in SA waters,” said Volk.

“It is a big deal for us, highlighting the commitment of MSC Cruises to Durban and South Africa. While MSC Virtuosa came here on a technical stop to fuel up and for fresh produce and other supplies, we have had our other cruise ships operating in SA water for years,” he added.

Red Sea situation

Asked about the Rea Sea situation, Volk said most major shipping and cruise operators were still avoiding the area.

“A lot are migrating south, around Africa – and for cruise ships, some have had to change their itineraries,” he noted.

ALSO READ: Red Sea crisis strands thousands of Australian sheep, cows

“Earlier this year we had the MSC Poesia in SA waters on a world tour. While MSC Virtuosa this week did not have passengers and land tours linked to the usual disembarkations when cruise ships normally call at a port, there was an economic impact, and it was a deliberate move by MSC Cruises to showcase this amazing cruise ship and our cruise terminal in Durban,” added Volk.

A Transnet insider told Moneyweb that the MSC Virtuosa docked at the Durban terminal due to its size and would not call at any other SA port.

Meanwhile, the SA ports of Durban and Cape Town are getting a bonus visit by the Queen Mary 2 cruise liner this week.

Like MSC Virtuosa, Queen Mary 2’s operators Cunard Lines were forced to change her voyage back to Europe by avoiding the Red Sea route.

This is the second time in three months that the iconic cruise liner will dock in SA ports.

Queen Mary 2 arrived at the Durban port in the early hours of Tuesday morning and will sail to Cape Town, where it is expected on Friday.

ALSO READ: More ships docking at SA ports since start of Red Sea attacks

Midway in her ‘World Voyage’, Cunard Lines announced a change to her itinerary earlier this year to come back to Cape Town, canning a ‘call’ to Dubai and the route back to the UK via the Suez Canal.

Queen Mary 2 will leave Cape Town on Saturday on a 16-day voyage back to her homeport of Southampton.

This article was republished from Moneyweb. Read the original here