Over 17 000 people have disembarked from cruise liners in Cape Town this cruise

January marks the peak of cruise ship season in Cape Town which traditionally runs from October to April, and this month, vessels have made a total of 17 stops in the city’s port.

Between October and 20 January, a total of 17 518 people have disembarked in the city from vessels carrying 6562 crew members. Over 17 500 people have embarked on ships in the same period.

Minister of Economic Opportunities in the Western Cape, Beverley Schäfer said: “We’re seeing cruising growing in popularity around the world, and we’re also starting to see both an increase in local cruising along our coast, as well as increased numbers of international operators using Cape Town as a turn-around port. Confirmed cruises for the next few years have also shown real growth and we are very positive about  the potential of this industry.”

“As a province, our aim, through Project Khulisa has been to grow tourism as a vehicle to stimulate the economy and create new jobs, and cruise ship tourism is helping us to do this. The Western Cape tourism industry currently sustains over 300 000 direct and indirect jobs, and by increasing the number of cruise liners visiting Cape Town, we can create further opportunities for work and skills development,” she said.

Among the luxury liners to have visited the city are the Queen Elizabeth the World Odyssey, the Europa 2, the Seven Seas Explorer, the Nautica and the Amadea.

The MSC Musica, which had to hold off on docking as a result of rough winds last week, was finally able to dock on Saturday morning.

The Ocean Dream, also known as the Peace Boat, also docked at the weekend.

Vessels which will still be calling in this season, including the Queen Victoria, the Silver Cloud, the Pacific Princess and the Viking Sun.

“The Cruise Lines International Association estimates that a total of 30 million people are expected to cruise somewhere in the world in 2019. South Africa and in particular Cape Town, have the potential to grow our reputation as a unique and new cruise destination,” Minister Schäfer said.

“The development of a dedicated cruise ship terminal operated by the V&A Waterfront and opened last year has played an important role in being able to grow this offering. We’ve seen cruising numbers grow in leaps and bounds in recent years and we’re seeing dramatic increases in numbers for the coming 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 seasons,” she said.

For the 2019/2020 season 30 vessels are expected to make 49 stops in Cape Town. While for the 2020/21 season, 32 vessels, with 67 stops are already confirmed.

“The Waterfront has reported that they’re starting to see people flying into Cape Town specifically to board cruises. This in turn adds value to our other tourism offerings, as these guests often book hotel stays and make use of other tourism facilities while they are in the city. Similarly, some vessels are doing crew changeovers in the city, meaning that the inbound and outbound crew members also make use of hotels and other facilities while in the city.”