The arrival of the fully booked MS Amadea cruise liner at the Port Elizabeth harbour on Sunday officially launched the 2018/2019 cruise liner season – with many more to come.
The 27-year-old ship, which can carry 630 passengers, was the second of an expected total of 18 vessels to be making their way into Nelson Mandela Bay during the season.
Of the 18 vessels expected to stop in PE from November to April 2019, the Port of Port Elizabeth is set to welcome between three and four a month.
The MS Amadea arrived from Cape Town, via Mossel Bay, about three weeks after leaving Germany.
Port Elizabeth Transnet National Port Authority harbour master Captain Brynn Adamson and port manager Rajesh Dana welcomed the ship and its captain Michael Block.
Adamson said the stopover of the vessel and its visitors were an opportunity for Nelson Mandela Bay to showcase its rich history and culture to international tourists and for economic activity generation.
“The arrival of these cruise liner vessels allows us to generate much-needed economic activity in this area, understanding that it’s not only limited to the port but includes our tour operators, all the events happening in and around the port at this time and our attractions,” Adamson said.
“We have committed to marketing Nelson Mandela Bay better as a destination for international cruising and are working together with the tourism department, the business chamber and the city to make that happen.”
Block complimented Port Elizabeth as one of the better parts of the country, saying the long distance from Cape Town was the only downside.
The vessel was due to leave Port Elizabeth on Sunday evening for East London, then Durban.
Among the 18 vessels is the MS Europa, due on the weekend of the annual People’s Port Festival on December 1 and 2.
Ahead of its retirement, Saga Pearl II will arrive in Port Elizabeth on March 13 (according to its provisional schedule) as part of a 54-night cruise leading up to its final voyage.
It will make way for the Saga Cruises company’s new ship Spirit of Discovery.
The season kicked off with the arrival of MS Europa 2 in Port Elizabeth on November 6.