At least 20 cruise vessels, including the Queen Mary 2 and the Queen Elizabeth, are set to dock in South Africa’s ports in the next six months.
Transnet National Ports Authority spokeswoman Lunga Ngcobo said in a statement release on Wednesday that the first cruise liner to dock will be the MSC Sinfonia, which is expected in Durban on Saturday, kicking off the country’s six month cruise season.
According to Ngcobo the MSC Sinfonia is the largest and most popular of the ships to head up the country’s annual cruise season and based in Durban.
The distinction of the two largest ships to dock in South Africa’s ports belongs to the Cunard Lines Queen Mary 2 and the Queen Elizabeth which will both dock in Port Elizabeth and Cape Town.
Apart from Cunard and MSC, cruise liners from Oceania Cruises, Seven Sea Cruises, Silversea Cruises, Amadea, Compagnie du Ponant and Azamara Club Cruises will dock at South African ports over the next six to seven months.
Ngcobo said that passenger facilities had been improved and that TNPA had improved its processes at Durban’s port to ensure quicker and improved embarkation of passengers.
“The Port of Durban is set to award its tender for the development a new passenger terminal by February 2017,” she added.
Facilities at Cape Town’s E-berth in Duncan Dock had also been improved and will be operated by V&A Waterfront.