The Mauritius Port Authority expects to have received 24 cruise ship calls in the remainder of the 2023 season and 30 in 2024, pointing to a gradual return to pre-pandemic figures.
These figures contrast sharply with those of 2022, when the Port of Mauritius recorded fewer than 10 port calls throughout the entire year. By 2024, the country expects to receive 35,000 passengers at its port.
The destination can now manage four cruise ship calls simultaneously: one at the cruise pier, one at the bulk sugar terminal next to the cruise pier, and two at the port's commercial docks, always depending on availability.
The highest passenger volume occurred in 2019, pre-pandemic, when the port received 59,556 individuals, which was a marked increase over the previous year.
Port Louis Cruise Terminal
Mauritius, as an important homeport and port of call in the Indian Ocean, has been building its cruise infrastructure over the past few decades, as stated by the Acting Director General of the Mauritius Port Authority, Shakeel Goburdhone.
“ With a view to improving the level of service offered to cruise passengers and further promoting Mauritius as a homeport destination, the MPA proceeded with the construction of the cruise terminal building, which would be ready to operate in November 2023 ,” Goburdhone added .
However, despite its inauguration being announced for last November, it was delayed and a date has not yet been set.
The new Port Louis cruise terminal is designed to accommodate up to 4,000 passengers daily in cruise start and end operations and an unlimited number of transit passengers.
With this investment in the cruise industry, the port authority also aims to attract more cruise ships for homeporting operations. Before the pandemic, AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, and Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines had ships based in the Port Louis harbor.
With AIDA's return for a homeporting season in 2023-24, the country would also be ready to receive calls from round-the-world cruises of several cruise lines, including MSC Cruises, Cunard, Hapag Lloyd, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Ponant, Phoenix Reisen, Holland America Line, Silversea Cruises and Seabourn.
According to Arvind Bundhun, director of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, the country's new cruise terminal, with its large capacity for guests, will stand out in the Indian Ocean.
“The cruise segment experienced a major boost before the pandemic and is steadily rebounding. Our goal is to position Mauritius as a docking hub in the Indian Ocean,” he stated.
“Mauritius is a multifaceted destination with a range of offerings, and we welcome cruise passengers to experience these immersive activities,” Bundhun.
“Through trips designed with sustainable travel practices and direct involvement of local communities in mind, combined with enriching experiences, Mauritius offers travelers a responsible immersion experience“.
Passengers can visit the Bel Ombre Biosphere Reserve in the south or Le Morne, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the southwest. Bundhun adds: “For a more authentic Mauritian culinary experience, travelers can sample the street food. It’s everywhere, from street corners to markets.”
Follow cruise news at Cruisesnews.es
