The Port of Port Elizabeth’s 2017/18 cruise season kicked off this morning with the arrival of the port’s first international cruise liner of the season.
Phoenix Reisen’s ALBATROS sailed into port carrying 830 European and South African passengers and 340 crew members. The 28,518-ton, 812-passenger cruise ship built in 1973, sails between popular destinations in Europe (Mediterranean and Baltic Sea), Asia and South Africa. She will also call at Mossel Bay, Cape Town, East London, Durban and Richards Bay.
Transnet National Ports Authority’s (TNPA) Port Manager for the Port of PE, Rajesh Dana, said the port is scheduled to receive altogether 20 calls by 11 different cruise liners this season between November 2017 and April 2018. Dana said passenger liner tourism was aligned with TNPA’s vision of opening the port to people. These calls have grown from 18 in the previous season to 20 this season.
“The cruise season provides a big boost for Nelson Mandela Bay’s economy, allowing tourists on stopovers to access tourism, leisure and wildlife experiences in and around our Metro. We’re delighted that PE continues to receive its fair share of cruise ships as more cruise line companies show confidence in our city, alongside TNPA’s usual stimulus home ports of Durban and Cape Town,” he said.
Highlights to look forward to this season include return calls to PE by QUEEN MARY II and QUEEN ELIZABETH, two of the most popular and largest cruise ships to visit South Africa. Other cruise vessels scheduled to visit PE are NAUTICA, CRYSTAL SYMPHONY, SILVER SPIRIT, BOUDICCA, MS EUROPA 2, INSIGNIA, SEABOURN SOJOURN and LE LYRIAL, as highlighted below.
More than 20 luxury cruise ships operated by 17 international cruise lines are expected to call at South Africa’s six ports during the 2017/18 cruise season.
The port officially welcomed the cruise ship with a few special guests this morning. Captain Faisal Sultan (TNPA Acting Port Manager) welcomed the MS ALBATROS, Jonathan Lawack (Speaker of Council, representing the Executive Mayor) officially opened the Nelson Mandela Bay passenger liner season and they exchanged gifts with the MS ALBATROS’ Captain Robert Fronenbroek, who shared a short message. Mandlakazi Skefile (CEO of Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism) made closing remarks from a tourism perspective. The Captain very courteously guided the guests on a tour through the ship and accompanied them back to the quayside.
The following vessels will call at various South African Ports and the Port of Port Elizabeth this Cruise Line season:
ALBATROS – Phoenix Reisen
- Cape Town – 8 to 11 November 2017
- Mossel Bay – 12 November 2017
- Port Elizabeth – 13 November 2017
- East London – 14 November 2017
- Durban – 15 to 17 November 2017
- Richards Bay – 18 November 2017
- Durban – 12 to 13 January 2018
NAUTICA – Oceania Cruises
- Richards Bay – 2 December 2017
- Durban – 3 December 2017
- Cape Town – 5 to 6 December 2017
- Mossel Bay – 7 December 2017
- Richards Bay – 9 December 2017
- Durban – 11 to 12 December 2017
- East London – 13 December 2017
- Port Elizabeth – 14 December 2017
- Cape Town – 20 to 22 December 2017
- Port Elizabeth – 24 December 2017
- Durban – 26 December 2017
- Richards Bay – 27 December 2017
CRYSTAL SYMPHONY – Crystal Cruises
- Durban – 18 December 2017
- Port Elizabeth – 20 December 2017
- Cape Town – 21-23 December 2017
- Richards Bay – 27 December 2017
- Durban – 28-29 December 2017
- East London – 30 December 2017
- Port Elizabeth – 31 December 2017
- Cape Town – 7-8 January 2018
- Port Elizabeth – 10 January 2018
SILVER SPIRIT – Silversea Cruises
- Richards Bay – 29-30 December 2017
- Durban – 31 December 2017
- Port Elizabeth – 2 January 2018
- Cape Town – 5 January 2018
- Port Elizabeth – 7 January 2018
- Richards Bay – 10-11 January 2018
- Durban – 12 January 2018
- East London – 13 January 2018
- Cape Town – 15 January 2018
- Port Elizabeth – 17 January 2018
- East London – 18 January 2018
- Durban – 19 January 2018
- Richards Bay – 20-21 January 2018
- Cape Town – 25 January 2018
- Cape Town – 4 February 2018
BOUDICCA – Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines
- Richards Bay – 5 January 2018
- Port Elizabeth – 7 January 2018
- Mossel Bay – 8 January 2018
- Durban – 8 to 9 January 2018
- Cape Town – 9 to 11 January 2018
- Port Elizabeth – 13 January 2018
- Richards Bay – 16-17 January 2018
- Durban – 18 to 19 January 2018
- Cape Town – 22 to 25 January 2018
- Port Elizabeth – 27 January 2018
- Richards Bay – 30 to 31 January 2018
- Cape Town – 5 to 9 February 2018
MS EUROPA 2 – Hapag-Lloyd
- Cape Town – 15-16 January 2018
- Port Elizabeth – 23-24 January 2018
- Durban – 26 to 27 January 2018
- Mossel Bay – 28 January 2018
- Cape Town – 29 January to 1 February 2018
- Port Elizabeth – 2-3 February 2018
- Durban – 4 to 5 February 2018
- Richards Bay – 6-7 February 2018
QUEEN MARY II – Cunard Lines
- Cape Town – 26-27 January 2018
- Port Elizabeth – 29 January 2018
INSIGNIA – Oceania Cruises
- Port Elizabeth – 2 February 2018
- Cape Town – 7 to 9 February 2018
- Port Elizabeth – 11 February 2018
- East London – 12 February 2018
- Durban – 13 February 2018
- Richards Bay – 14 February 2018
SEABOURN SOJOURN – Seabourn Cruise Line
- Cape Town – 10-12 February 2018
- Mossel Bay – 14 February 2018
- Port Elizabeth – 15-16 February 2018
- Durban – 18-19 February 2018
LE LYRIAL – Ponant
- Cape Town – 23-25 March 2018
- Port Elizabeth – 27-28 March 2018
- Richards Bay – 30 March 2018
- Durban – 31 March to 1 April 2018
QUEEN ELIZABETH – Cunard Lines
- Port Elizabeth – 21 April 2018
- Cape Town – 23 to 24 April 2018
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