#Cruise Ship Developments, South Africa [Archive]

GregPz

July 17th, 2009, 11:38 AM

The MSC Sinfonia based in Durban for the 2009/10 cruise season...

http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/1237/sinfoniaindex.jpg (http://img259.imageshack.us/i/sinfoniaindex.jpg/)

Starlight Cruises, South Africa’s only operator of regular cruises from and around the South African coast, has announced that the Liner, MSC SINFONIA, will from November 2009 operate cruises from Durban to destinations in the Indian Ocean and Mozambique Channel. At 58600 tons and close to 2100 passengers, the MSC SINFONIA will be the largest and most modern ship to have ever operated from a South African port.

The MSC SINFONIA is a new liner hosting 778 cabins, of which 135 are suites with private balconies. The ship also boasts 3 restaurants, 7 bars, 2 pools, spa, business and conference centre, internet café, casino, cigar room, disco, fitness centre, golf simulator, library, card room, mini club, teen’s club, exchange office and medical centre. The facilities and onboard activities allow for travelers to tailor make their own experience whilst in the luxurious surroundings.

“The market appears to be calling out for a world class liner in the region,” says Starlight director Allan Foggit, “the South African economy suggests to us that our timing is exactly right. We believe the SINFONIA represents most excellent cruising at the best value, and offers the most exciting local holiday in these trying times. This is definitely the biggest single development in the local cruise industry in South Africa since we first pioneered leisure cruising off this coast.”

From daytime activities to evening entertainment, all tastes and needs are catered for. Children are more than welcome with relevant facilities offered. Children up to the age of 18 travel free.

Interesting points to note on the MSC SINFONIA visiting South Africa include – it will effectively increase annual capacity near 70,000 in the 2009/2010 season. Revenue to the Port of Durban in the form of Port Charges and taxes will be around R20,000,000 per annum. Local hotels, transport and ground service providers in Durban will see huge increases in demand. Food and beverage suppliers too are looking at a very substantial increase in ships victualing, of a similar percentage to those of the hotels and other ground service providers. Local airlines will enjoy increases of similar magnitude in catering for “upland” cruise guest who travel from their home cities to and from Durban.

http://www.starlightcruises.co.za/

Mo Rush

July 17th, 2009, 11:45 AM

There is an article in the Business Durban magazine which confirms the two cruise ships to be berthed in CT, PE and DBN during the World Cup. The CT Transport plans already indicated the location/position of these two cruise ships in the harbour adjacent to the Royal Cape Yacht Club i.e. 16 and 17 in the graphic above.

Mo Rush

July 17th, 2009, 11:50 AM

As posted in the now closed "floating hotel" thread.

If the QE2 is berthed in Cape Town, there are various options. Referring to the Cape Town 2004 Olympic Bid Cruise ship plan.

QE2
Dimensions

Length: 963 ft (293.52m)
Breadth: 105 ft (32.07m)

http://www.picamatic.com/show/2009/07/16/07/25/4464129_1200x799.JPG

It seems that there are various options, since the QE2 is only about 20metres larger than some of the largest on this list.

Mo Rush

July 17th, 2009, 04:02 PM

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/ (http://ad.doubleclick.net/click%3Bh=v8/386d/3/0/%2a/x%3B216413308%3B0-0%3B0%3B34290009%3B3454-728/90%3B32568564/32586441/1%3B%3B%7Esscs%3D%3fhttp://www.goalarabia.com) Ministry of Tourism will not oppose QE2 berth application

Posted in: Crane Country (http://blogs.thenational.ae/crane_country/)
Posted by: Bradley Hope (http://blogs.thenational.ae/cgi-bin/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&id=9) on July 17, 2009 5:52 PM

Tags: nakheel (http://blogs.thenational.ae/cgi-bin/mt/mt-search.cgi?blog_id=36&tag=nakheel&limit=20), QE2 (http://blogs.thenational.ae/cgi-bin/mt/mt-search.cgi?blog_id=36&tag=QE2&limit=20), queen elizabeth 2 (http://blogs.thenational.ae/cgi-bin/mt/mt-search.cgi?blog_id=36&tag=queen%20elizabeth%202&limit=20)

http://blogs.thenational.ae/crane_country/assets_c/2009/07/na27no-MainArt-thumb-300x185.jpg (http://blogs.thenational.ae/crane_country/na27no-MainArt.jpg)Here's the latest with the Queen Elizabeth 2 - the 41-year-old vessel that was bought by Nakheel to be turned into a floating hotel off the Palm Jumeirah:

She may leave Dubai for Cape Town, but the trip would be temporary. The Ministry of Tourism in South Africa just put out a statement saying that it would not oppose an application to berth the cruise ship at the Cape Town harbor.
Photo caption: The Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) arrives in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on November 26th, 2008. Courtesy Nakheel
But it also mentioned that the application was to birth the cruise liner "for a period of 18 months".

This fits in with Nakheel's previous statement that the ship could open to visitors before its refurbishment begins. Here is what they said last week:

"Nakheel is investigating the possibility of opening QE2 to visitors for a short period of time before her refurbishment begins. The feasibility of this has not yet been fully ascertained, as Nakheel is keen to ensure that at all times the integrity of the ship is maintained. In addition to alternative locations in Dubai, a number of ports in Africa and the Middle East have expressed interest in hosting her as a stationary hotel."

DHLawrence

July 17th, 2009, 09:32 PM

Sounds like they're allowing enough time before the renovations start to see if CT is a viable location. As long as it's open during the World Cup, there should be no problem.

Mo Rush

July 19th, 2009, 12:07 AM

I'm hearing rumours that its almost go go go for the QE2 in Cape Town, with the 18 months period starting December 2009 ...possibly.

At the moment I would even go as far as saying that I'm optimistic about the outcome.

I've "heard" Transnet would prefer less than 18 months and want a plan on the pre-refurbishments refurbishments while it acts a hotel, they also want clearer plans on the facilities to be provided by Dubaiworld for the thousands of people to be accommodated on QE2 AND how this would tie up with the facilities needed for OTHER cruise ships AND what financial commitment Dubaiworld will be making to service those moving between the ship and the city and V&A and elsewhere.

Durbsboi

July 20th, 2009, 08:58 AM

QM2 to visit Durbs & CT in March next year!!! Do they still offer trips form Durbs to CT? I know when QE2 should visit they should offer a package to travel with them till CT. Would love to go on the QM2.

http://www.3jslimos.com/ordereze/images/items/IMAGE224.JPG

http://i28.tinypic.com/jhydk2.jpg

Mo Rush

July 20th, 2009, 11:49 AM

I'm hearing rumours that its almost go go go for the QE2 in Cape Town, with the 18 months period starting December 2009 ...possibly.

At the moment I would even go as far as saying that I'm optimistic about the outcome.
QE2 to sail for Cape Town, Nakheel confirms

Jul 20, 2009 at 08:59

By Shakir Husain Nakheel confirmed on Monday that the historic QE2 cruise liner, which Dubai bought for $100 million in 2007 and planned to use as a floating hotel off the Palm Jumeirah man-made island, will sail to Cape Town in major U-turn in the plans for the ship.

“After months of feasibility studies, it is clear that Cape Town, with ready-made berthing facilities, provides the best opportunity for us to open QE2 to visitors as quickly as possible,” Manfred Ursprunger, chief executive officer of QE2 Enterprises at Nakheel Hotels, said in a statement released to Maktoob Business.

The Queen Elisabeth 2 has been linked with a temporary berth in Cape Town harbour for weeks after Nakheel, part of state-owned conglomerate Dubai World, said it was considering berthing the iconic cruise liner outside Dubai.

South African media reported Nakheel had approached tourism authorities to berth the QE2 at Cape Town's V&A Waterfront, also owned by Dubai World.

Nakheel said it will provide details about the ship’s sailing to Cape Town after it has finalised the plan with the concerned authorities in South Africa.

“Cape Town will provide an exciting environment to experience the legendary QE2 over the next 18 months alongside the rich culture of South Africa and the incredible array of activities, entertainments and excursions available there,” Ursprunger said.

Nakheel said the forthcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup “makes a sensible business case” for moving the ship there.

Any deal still needs the approval of South Africa’s National Ports Authority and Transnet, the country’s major ports company.

Nakheel had planned to turn the QE2 into a floating hotel, but has been left untouched at Port Rashid since its arrival last November.

Berthing the QE2 in Cape Town for the World Cup could generate some much needed cash for Nakheel, which has been hit hard by the collapse of Dubai’s real estate market.

The company itself has put some of its projects, including the Trump Tower, on hold and has retrenched hundreds of staff amid a slump in property sales.

The company is at the centre of growing concerns over the emirate's ability to repay billions of dollars in debt and is entangled in a growing number of disputes over unpaid bills to foreign contractors.

The maturity of a $3.5 billion bond in December, and how to refinance it, is also weighing heavily on the minds of analysts rating Dubai's government-owned companies.

One of the world’s most famous ships, the QE2 had crossed the Atlantic more than 800 times in its 40 years of service and carried more than 2.5 million passengers before arriving in Dubai.

Ziggymo

July 20th, 2009, 12:40 PM

Now that the QE2 is confirmed for SA,shouldn't the " Floating Hotel " be reopened in the project section.

Could this have been in the plans from the beginning,a pic in the '' V&A Waterfront Update '' section shows a ship similar to the QE2 Berthed in CT

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p210/rfataar/VAConcept1.png
The ship is at the end of the main pear

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p210/rfataar/model.jpg
The front end of the ship can be seen in this photo

Mo Rush

July 20th, 2009, 01:19 PM

QE2 will be berthed at the harbour not the waterfront where that cruise ship is.

romanSA

July 20th, 2009, 02:32 PM

Ziggymo

July 20th, 2009, 02:47 PM

QE2 will be berthed at the harbour not the waterfront where that cruise ship is.

But remember this is only TEMPORARY,The main pear looks suspeciously like the planned terminal in Dubai

http://i35.tinypic.com/153356o.jpg
http://i35.tinypic.com/153356o.jpg

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p210/rfataar/VAConcept1.png

Its probably just a coincedence,I know this is off topic but its just too suspecious,probably an early conceptual idea

juzzy

July 20th, 2009, 03:00 PM

that first photo is definately the palm jumeira, you can see the "palm fronds"with houses on them on the top left corner

Mo Rush

July 20th, 2009, 03:19 PM

But remember this is only TEMPORARY,The main pear looks suspeciously like the planned terminal in Dubai

http://i35.tinypic.com/153356o.jpg
http://i35.tinypic.com/153356o.jpg

Yes, as indicated in the article, 18 months.

Mo Rush

July 20th, 2009, 03:23 PM

Let them sleep on ships - Blatter
July 20 2009

Bonn - Fifa president Joseph Blatter believes cruise ships could be the solution to the problem of a lack of hotel beds for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

"Cruise ships, which offer places for around 2 000 people, could be brought there," Blatter said in an interview with the Deutsche Welle TV station.

However, the idea could only be a partial solution as Durban and Port Elizabeth are the only host cities that could accommodate such large ships and World Cup organisers are facing a shortfall of up to 15 000 beds.

The World Cup takes place in South Africa June 11 to July 11, 2010. - Sapa-dpa

http://www.ioltravel.co.za/article/view/5091116

Its quite silly because its quite obvious there would be an accommodation shortage in terms of hotel rooms. Durban had the British Lions and people could hardly find a hotel room to sleep. Cape Town has a conference and hotel rooms are all booked.

Yes, we have a wide variety of accommodation and The Western Cape Region has 140,000 beds BUT this must be marketed and be made available to tourists at reasonable prices.

FIFA have only themselves to blame for not meeting their 55,000 room requirement. The MATCH contract does not make everybody happy.

FIFA need to find a cruise ship marketer/partner and make them the official company responsible for attracting cruise ships to 2010 and Brazil in 2014.

Durbsboi

July 21st, 2009, 10:15 AM

I know when QE2 should visit they should offer a package to travel with them till CT. Would love to go on the QM2.

well theres my idea shot down

Dear *****,

Thank you for your email.

Regrettably the ships are not offering the short sectors around the SA coastline. The shortest sectors offered are Sydney to Cape Town or Cape Town to Fort Lauderdale.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require any further assistance.

Kind regards,
*********

Whitestar Cruise & Travel

Mo Rush

July 24th, 2009, 09:08 PM

Interesting!

http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?&zoom=13&centerx=55.27395&centery=25.26815#

SA BOY

July 25th, 2009, 10:46 AM

flew into Dubai this moring right over the old port rashid and the QE2 is gone, so she is on her way.

I have howeber read that nakheel are planning an using her to go to major events around the world (olympics, world cups etc ) as a floating temp hotel, so she will be in Ct a year or so then move onto the next big event

SA BOY

July 25th, 2009, 10:50 AM

the reclimation for the land bridge where the QE2 was due to live on Palm Jumeriah has been completed and is waiting for her. maybe for ever

Mo Rush

July 25th, 2009, 11:29 AM

FromJoanne

July 25th, 2009, 08:57 PM

.
.
.

SA BOY

July 26th, 2009, 07:11 AM

couldent see the dry docks

romanSA

July 27th, 2009, 02:39 AM

I hope Transnet decides to allow the QE2 to dock in CT, although space constraints may squash this dream.

-------------

Two cruise liners sell berths for World Cup
Lauren Cohen Published:Jul 25, 2009

FIFA president Sepp Blatter believes cruise ships could be the answer to South Africa’s accommodation shortage during the 2010 World Cup but only one tour operator has plans to set sail.

In an interview this week, Blatter told a German TV station that “cruise ships, which offer places for around 2000 people, could be brought there” (to South Africa).

In line with the Department of Tourism’s decision that does not favour cruise liners entering South African waters empty and weighing anchor, Match Event Services, contracted to Fifa to deliver on accommodation needs, “has a policy that cruise liners will not be used as a solution” said Match senior executive Adam Brown.

Match has contracted 40000 rooms and has a “number of initiatives” to help them reach their 55000 room target.

Of these, 6965 rooms are in Botswana, Swaziland, Namibia, Zambia and Mauritius.

Only one commercial cruise operator is due in South Africa for the event. One Ocean Club has chartered the MS Westerdam and the MS Noordam and is offering two-to five-day packages. The two liners, carrying about 1500 passengers each, will cruise between matches in Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town.

Boris Leyck, One Ocean Club operations manager, said prices would start at 700 per person per night.

Cape Town harbour master Captain Ravi Naicker said part of the ship repair quay had been reserved for the liners. He said: “Space is a problem in the harbour and our main priority is to move cargo in and out.”

This could be one of the reasons the QE2 might not — despite buy-in from the Tourism Department — be given the requested 18-month berth at Cape Town’s commercial port.

Transnet is still to make a final decision on the application.

http://www.thetimes.co.za/PrintEditi...spx?id=1039782

Durbsboi

July 27th, 2009, 09:24 AM

Meeting is happening sometime this week, will see if I can get some inside info. I think the meeting is in Durban too

Mo Rush

July 27th, 2009, 01:36 PM

City floats economic dreams on cruises (http://www.capeargus.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=5100907)

A FULL economic assessment to determine the infrastructural needs for Cape Town harbour to become a home port for cruise liners is expected in three weeks.

romanSA

August 8th, 2009, 12:37 AM

Here go some of the cruise ship plans...

---------------

No empty cruise ships allowed as hotels for 2010 World Cup
Posted : Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:17:39 GMT
Author : DPA

Johannesburg - Former German media mogul Leo Kirch won't be allowed to use cruise ships as floating hotels in the way he hoped during next year's World Cup, the South African government confirmed Friday. "The position of the Tourism Ministry was always that we don't want ships at the World Cup that have the objective of anchoring in our harbours and presenting themselves as alternatives to our local hotels," the Tourism Ministry said in a statement to German Press Agency dpa.

According to a report in Germany's Spiegel magazine, Kirch's company, KF 15, had hoped to have two cruise ships dock in Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth and function as hotels during the World Cup finals.

The luxury liners in question, MS Westerdam and MS Noordam, offer a combined total of 4,600 beds. The cost for the two ships is estimated at upwards of 10 million euros (14 million dollars).

However, the South African Tourism Ministry has now made clear that berthing rights for both ships were based on the proviso that the vessels brought tourists to the country.

FIFA president Joseph Blatter had previously suggested that cruise ships could be the solution to the 15,000 hotel beds lacking for the month-long World Cup finals.

The World Cup takes place in South Africa June 11 to July 11, 2010.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/280592,no-empty-cruise-ships-allowed-as-hotels-for-2010-world-cup.html

ToxicBunny

August 8th, 2009, 12:49 PM

I think this will be INCREDIBLY short sighted of the guavamint if they just kill the idea without thinking about the positive spin offs it could have on our tourism industry.

Mo Rush

August 8th, 2009, 01:43 PM

or the fact that our cities actually NEED the rooms and beds.

Mo Rush

August 25th, 2009, 04:36 PM

2011 luxury cruise programme released

More US departures have been scheduled by luxury line Crystal Cruises as part of its 2011 sailing programme.

The company’s two ships will run 58 cruises visiting 163 ports in 67 countries on itineraries ranging in duration of between seven and 21 days.
An increased emphasis on departures from North America includes an expanded series of sailings to the Mexican Riviera from Los Angeles.
All but one Crystal Symphony voyage is to embark from a US port. Twelve-day voyages from San Francisco will see the line return to Alaska for the first time since 2005.
There is also a return to West Africa for the first time since 2001.

A 110-day world cruise from Los Angeles to London will go via the South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand, Asia, India, Dubai, and Africa.
The 2011 programme includes the new ports of call of Argostoli, Kefalonia; Fethiye, Turkey;
Komodo Island, Indonesia; Koper, Slovenia; and Marigot Bay, St. Martin. Overnight calls are planned for Ashdod, Melbourne, Barcelona, Cannes, Istanbul,
New York and other cities worldwide. Two night stays are scheduled for Dubai, Cape Town
and St Petersburg. Crystal president Gregg Michel said: “In addition to our very exotic voyages in destinations like Africa, India and the Middle East, we're also greatly increasing our presence in North America with a greater selection of domestic cruises.”
by Phil Davies

GregPz

August 25th, 2009, 08:49 PM

Here's how the current cruise season is looking (I'm sure there's more to add though).

DURBAN
Tahitian Princess 21 Oct
MSC Sinfonia 13 Nov
MSC Sinfonia 14 Nov
MSC Sinfonia 16 Nov
MSC Sinfonia 20 Nov
MSC Sinfonia 23 Nov
MSC Sinfonia 27 Nov
MSC Sinfonia 30 Nov
MSC Sinfonia 4 Dec
MSC Sinfonia 7 Dec
MSC Sinfonia 11 Dec
MSC Sinfonia 14 Dec
MSC Sinfonia 18 Dec
MSC Sinfonia 21 Dec
MSC Sinfonia 26 Dec
MSC Sinfonia 6 Jan
MSC Sinfonia 8 Jan
Silver Wind 10 Jan
MSC Sinfonia 11 Jan
MSC Sinfonia 15 Jan
MSC Sinfonia 18 Jan
Silver Wind 20 Jan
MSC Sinfonia 22 Jan
MSC Sinfonia 25 Jan
MSC Sinfonia 29 Jan
Silver Wind 30 Jan
MSC Sinfonia 5 Feb
MSC Sinfonia 8 Feb
Silver Wind 9 Feb
MSC Sinfonia 12 Feb
Crystal Serenity 15 Feb
MSC Sinfonia 15 Feb
MSC Sinfonia 19 Feb
MSC Sinfonia 21 Feb
MSC Sinfonia 26 Feb
HAL Amsterdam 26 Feb
MSC Sinfonia 1 Mar
MSC Sinfonia 5 Mar
MSC Sinfonia 8 Mar
MV Discovery 11 Mar
MSC Sinfonia 12 Mar
MSC Sinfonia 15 Mar
MSC Sinfonia 18 Mar
MV Discovery 20 Mar
Queen Mary 2 24 Mar
MSC Sinfonia 1 Apr
Seven Seas Voyager 12 Apr
Ocean Princess 3 May

CAPE TOWN
Tahitian Princess 17 Oct
Tahitian Princess 18 Oct
MSC Sinfonia 10 Nov
Seven Seas Voyager 20 Nov
Seven Seas Voyager 21 Nov
Silver Wind 13 Jan
Silver Wind 23 Jan
Silver Wind 2 Feb
Crystal Serenity 9 Feb
Crystal Serenity 10 Feb
Crystal Serenity 11 Feb
Silver Wind 12 Feb
HAL Amsterdam 22 Feb
HAL Amsterdam 23 Feb
MV Minverva 26 Feb
MV Discovery 15 Mar
MV Discovery 16 Mar
MV Discovery 17 Mar
MV Minverva 24 Mar
MV Minverva 25 Mar
MV Minverva 26 Mar
Queen Mary 2 26 Mar
Queen Mary 2 27 Mar
MSC Sinfonia 4 Apr
Seven Seas Voyager 14 Apr
Seven Seas Voyager 15 Apr
Seven Seas Voyager 16 Apr
Ocean Princess 6 May
Ocean Princess 7 May

PORT ELIZABETH
Silver Wind 11 Jan
Silver Wind 21 Jan
Silver Wind 31 Jan
Silver Wind 10 Feb
Crystal Serenity 13 Feb
HAL Amsterdam 24 Feb
MV Discovery 13 Mar
MV Minerva 28 Mar

EAST LONDON
Tahitian Princess 20 Oct
Silver Wind 15 Jan
Silver Wind 25 Jan
Silver Wind 4 Feb
MV Discovery 19 Mar
Ocean Princess 4 May

RICHARDS BAY
Seven Seas Voyager 17 Nov
Seven Seas Voyager 18 Nov
Silver Wind 8 Jan
Silver Wind 9 Jan
Silver Wind 18 Jan
Silver Wind 19 Jan
Silver Wind 28 Jan
Silver Wind 29 Jan
Silver Wind 7 Feb
Silver Wind 8 Feb
MV Discovery 10 Mar
MV Discovery 21 Mar
MV Minerva 30 Mar
Seven Seas Voyager 11 Apr

MOSSEL BAY
Silver Wind 22 Jan
Silver Wind 1 Feb
Silver Wind 11 Feb

Source: cruisecomplete.com

Mo Rush

August 25th, 2009, 09:11 PM

thanks!

Mo Rush

November 4th, 2009, 11:48 PM

One of the two cruise ships that were initially planned to berth in RSA might be cancelled.
In this case, only the MS Noordam will visit South Africa during the World Cup.

romanSA

November 17th, 2009, 07:54 AM

Cross-post from Durban Harbour thread

--------------------

I hope this speeds up the construction of the proposed cruise terminal at the Point.

--------------------

MSC Cruises urges Transnet to upgrade Durban terminal
November 17, 2009

By SAMANTHA ENSLIN-PAYNE

MSC Cruises has made a guarantee to Transnet that 150 000 passengers will embark and disembark at the Durban port this season in a bid to get the state-owned enterprise to invest in a cruise terminal.

Pierfrancesco Vago, the chief executive of MSC Cruises, said at the weekend: "We have given Transnet a written commitment on volumes for the next three years. Whether we meet the target or not we are committed to paying."

MSC Cruises pays R100 for each passenger embarking and disembarking at the harbour to port authorities, meaning that Transnet is guaranteed a minimum income of R15 million each year for the next three years.

Vago said the lack of a cruise terminal was a huge issue as a passenger's holiday experience began on arrival at the port. A passenger that began a cruise unhappy would invariably not enjoy the experience. "It's time now they upgraded the facilities," Vago said.

MSC Cruises' ship the Sinfonia, which has the capacity to carry 2 100 passengers, began its first five-month season in South Africa this weekend.

Alan Foggit, a director of Starlight Cruises, which is the South African sales agent for MSC Cruises, said the Sinfonia was expected to produce turnover of R220m in the current cruise season, generating R16m in commission for travel agents.

Currently passengers use N Shed at the Durban port, a partially converted warehouse. MSC Cruises has been operating in South African waters for several years, with the Rhapsody and Melody cruise liners.

Vago said a cruise terminal needed to be bigger than N Shed as 2 000 people disembarked after each cruise and a further 2 000 embarked, all in the space of a few hours. A cruise terminal should be like an airport, with proper customs facilities, seating, shops and other services, such as an airbridge connecting the quayside and the ship.

"We need the comfort of a terminal that could also generate revenue for Transnet."

Vago said MSC Cruises was tackling this issue with the authorities.

Transnet spokesman John Dludlu said the passenger terminal in Durban was always part of its capital investment programme to accommodate the growth in the cruise liner and tourism businesses.

"In partnership with our cruise liner clients, such as MSC and the city of Durban, we're in constant engagements around the design implications and planning for passenger traffic in and out of the port."

MSC Cruises has 10 ships in its stable and will launch its 11th vessel next year. It operates cruises in North America, South America, the Mediterranean, Europe and along the west coast of Africa and the east coast of southern Africa.

http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fA...561&fSetId=662

romanSA

November 18th, 2009, 04:45 PM

Cruise ship bonanza for SA

November 18 2009 at 11:58AM
By Suren Naidoo

South Africa is set for a money-spinning cruise tourism bonanza heading into next year with Durban at the heart of the action. The highly-anticipated MSC Sinfonia - touted to be the largest and most modern cruise ship to operate out of South Africa - docked in its home port of Durban for the first time on Friday, kicking off the season.

At 58 600 tons and accommodating 2 100 passengers and crew - the MSC Sinfonia will operate out of Durban, calling at the port more than 30 times in the next five months and cruising the Indian Ocean between Mozambique, Mauritius, Reunion and the Comoros.

However, the MSC Sinfonia will not be the only high profile cruise ship to make its maiden voyage to Durban. Next year in March the uber-luxurious Queen Mary 2 - which is almost three times the size of the Sinfonia will call in Durban for the first time.

In addition, the big cruising news for the 2010 Fifa World Cup is that German promoter ONE OCEAN CLUB will bring two cruise ships from Holland America Cruise Lines - the MS Noordam and MS Westerdam - to operate as floating hotels for the duration of the tournament out of Durban and Port Elizabeth.

ONE OCEAN CLUB said with the thousands of visitors expected for the 2010 World Cup and the shortage of four- and five-star accommodation in the host cities of Durban and Port Elizabeth, it aimed to cater for this market.

It will be offering 4 600 additional beds for visitors on the two luxury cruise liners.

The MS Noordam will be based in Durban and travel to Port Elizabeth for big match days there, while the MS Westerdam will be based in Port Elizabeth and will make trips to Cape Town during the tournament.

For the summer cruising season going into 2010, Durban will have more than 50 calls at the port with about 30 of those being calls by the MSC Sinfonia, which is using Durban as its home base throughout the season. Other cruise liners expected in Durban and Richards Bay during the season include the Balmoral, Voyages of Discovery, Seven Seas Voyager, Silver Wind, Crystal Serenity and C Columbus.

"The arrival of the new generation MSC Sinfonia in South Africa ushers the region into a new era of world-class cruising. This is definitely the biggest single development in the local cruise industry since we first pioneered leisure cruising off this coast," said Allan Foggitt, director of Starlight Cruising, the general sales agents for MSC Cruises in South Africa.

"We have had unprecedented advance bookings, which confirms the timing for launching MSC Sinfonia in the country. Most departures in November and December are already either sold out or heavily booked and we are expecting more than 70 000 passengers on board this season," Foggitt added.

According to Starlight, MSC Sinfonia will represent a significant boost to the local economy.

Local hotels, transport and ground service providers in Durban are set to see an increase in demand, while food and beverage suppliers will also benefit.

Local airlines will also enjoy increases in catering for upcountry cruise guests who will jet into Durban for the cruise. Revenue to the Port of Durban in the form of port charges and taxes alone will be around R20-million for the year.

James Seymour, of Tourism KwaZulu-Natal and the secretary-general of the Cruise the Indian Ocean Association, said MSC Sinfonia's introduction to the Southern African market marked a bonanza year for cruise tourism in the region.

"This won't be our busiest cruise season on record, but it will definitely be a landmark with not only the introduction of MSC Sinfonia, but the maiden call of the giant Queen Mary 2 in Durban in March next year.

"This no doubt is going to be a major highlight next year together with the MS Noordam based in Durban for the 2010 World Cup," he said.

"Durban will be the Queen Mary 2's first port of call in South Africa on its world trip. Passengers are expected to visit a Zulu village in the Valley of a Thousand Hills. This is the case with many of the other cruise liners that will stop over in Durban.

"All this is going to have tremendous economic spin-offs for KZN and bolsters our efforts to promote the southern Indian Ocean region as the new frontier and destination of the cruise tourism industry."

This article was originally published on page 1 of The Mercury on November 18, 2009

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_i...3046757C575094

romanSA

January 29th, 2010, 01:46 AM

Cruise Ship QE2’s World Cup Plans Scrapped

PR Log (Press Release) – Jan 28, 2010 – Plans for the Queen Elizabeth 2 to sail to South Africa for the World Cup finals in the summer have been cancelled.

The former Cunard ship had been scheduled to act as a “floating hotel” for the FIFA football tournament beginning in June, docking at the port in Cape Town in order to cope with the surge in demand for hotel rooms during the four-week competition.

Port authorities at Cape Town have told the ship’s current owners, Dubai-based Istithmar World, that they cannot accommodate the ship for the required length of time.

Sanjay Govan, port manager at South Africa’s Transnet National Port Authority, told Abu Dhabi newspaper The National: “It’s the length of stay that was an issue. They wanted to stay much longer than just the World Cup.

“You have to sacrifice a normal cargo-working berth for such an operation. You wouldn’t do that for such a long time.”

Holland America has loaned two of its ships (MS Noordam and MS Westerdam) to a German hospitality provider to use as floating hotels during the World Cup. The ships will sail between Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban during the tournament, acting as temporary hotels at each port.

Ref: HSLP0101AA181

http://www.prlog.org/10509229-cruise-ship-qe2s-world-cup-plans-scrapped.html

Mo Rush

January 29th, 2010, 09:20 AM

SA BOY

January 31st, 2010, 02:22 PM

There was a really huge cruise ship at the V&A last Saturday, which for some reason adds a great vibe to the whole place, since it was buzzing, and the opening event at CT stadium was taking place.

SAboy, what do cruise terminals cost?

Surely the R1 billion spent on one is significantly lower than than the tourist spend etc. over the future.

not much mate, its esentailly a processing centre for in bound tourists so it has passport control, immigration and customs. a mini airport terminal building would do the trick , Now you can go mad (like Brisbane terminal which is part of abigget waterfronmt development ) or small like Dubai which has a 3000m2 terminal, basic and easy

Mo Rush

January 31st, 2010, 03:05 PM

I meant the actual physical structure of a terminal, one that runs 90 degrees to table bay harbour.

p2bsa

March 19th, 2010, 02:18 AM

PIC: Views of the QM2

Terry Hutson
March 17 2010 at 05:07PM

When Cunard's largest ever passenger liner, Queen Mary 2, arrived in Sydney Harbour on its maiden visit in February, 2007, it was met by a flotilla of small boats, helicopters and tens of thousands of people.

Police struggled with massive traffic jams.

On a return visit in February last year, the police took steps to avoid some of the chaos that the ship caused in city streets, but still the people thronged the waterside.

In the US, on the west coast and in the east, and in Europe, tens of thousands turned out for each unique event.

Such is what lies ahead for Durban on Tuesday, March 23, when the 151 400-gross ton Queen Mary 2 "pulls in" for an all-too-brief visit.

Queen Mary 2 is scheduled to arrive at 6am and will leave at 6pm. It will be its maiden voyage to South Africa and the biggest cruise liner to dock in Durban.

The good news from the ship's agent, King & Sons, is that the ship will berth at the T jetty at O and O/P berths, which will give the public an excellent view.

The bad news is that there is still no clarity on whether the public will have access to a vantage point near the entrance channel to see the ship's arrival and departure.

The site contractors, who have little more than a week to go before they conclude their contract and move off the North and South piers, are reluctant to allow public access to what remains officially a construction site until the end of the month.

The Mercury has learnt that additional security will be engaged to prevent the public from gaining access to the pier from Mahatma Gandhi (Point) Road or from the beach on the day.

Port manager Ricky Bhikraj said at the weekend that the Transnet National Ports Authority was making every effort to find a suitable vantage point. The public would be notified through the press, he said.

The ship will be clearly visible from the esplanade. Another excellent place to see it would be from one of the many pleasure boats on Durban Bay. Enquire at the yacht mole, the Gardiner Street Jetty or Wilson's Wharf.

When the ship sails in the afternoon, an excellent vantage point will be along the beachfront at uShaka Beach.
This article was originally published on page 1 of The Mercury on March 17, 2010
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?fsetid=1&click_id=181&art_id=vn20100317152659377C515169

p2bsa

March 19th, 2010, 02:21 AM

Queen Mary 2 sails to Durban
17 March 2010, 15:56

By Terry Hutson
Queen Mary 2, which arrives in Durban next Tuesday (March 23) for a one-day visit, is named in succession to the first RMS Queen Mary, a transatlantic liner named after the wife of King George V in 1934.

Queen Mary 2 was built at the French Alsthom Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in St Nazaire and, at the time, was the largest and tallest passenger ship ever built.

The naming ceremony took place on January 8, 2004, and was performed by Queen Elizabeth II in the French shipyard after the ship underwent successful sea-going trials the previous November.

The ship's maiden voyage took place from Southampton to Fort Lauderdale in Florida, US, commencing on January 12, 2004.

Unlike her predecessor, Queen Mary 2 is not a steamship but is powered by four 16-cylinder Wartsila diesel engines and two additional gas turbines, and utilises a Codag (combined diesel and gas turbine) configuration to achieve maximum power and propulsion.

Four Rolls-Royce Mermaid propulsion pods are connected to low vibration stainless steel propellers - each pod weighs 250 tons.

There are also three thrusters providing manoeuvrability in port. There are four folding fin stabilisers which when combined are said to reduce the ship's roll by 90 percent.

For bunkering, the ship loads 5 350 tons of heavy fuel oil and 3 885 tons of marine gas oil stored in 22 tanks. The diesel engines burn approximately three tons an hour each while the gas turbines burn about six tons an hour each when in operation.

Unlike other cruise ships, Queen Mary 2 can cross oceans at 30 knots although her cruising speed is generally between 22 and 26 knots - as a liner in the North Atlantic in summer, speed is important, but in the northern winter the ship converts for cruising in warmer climes and speed is no longer so important.

As a transatlantic liner the ship carries the prefix RMS - Royal Mail Ship. Up on the 50m-wide bridge, the ship is steered by a single joystick. The vessel also uses dynamic positioning, making her one of the more technically advanced passenger ships.

The ship's whistles are interesting and are likely to be heard when Queen Mary 2 sails from Durban on Tuesday afternoon.

There are two traditional "Typhon"-style whistles on the forward end of the funnel, with the starboard side whistle being an original from the Queen Mary which was mounted on that ship's middle funnel. This whistle is on permanent loan to Cunard. The other is a replica built by Kockums AB of Sweden.

The ship is 345m long and has a beam on the waterline of 41m. She is more than twice the size of the Queen Elizabeth 2 and three times the size of the Titanic.

Queen Mary 2 is a post-panamax vessel, which means she is too wide to use the Panama Canal. The ship sails via the Magellan Strait at the tip of South America on her world cruises and therefore performs a circumnavigation of South America, enabling visits to several South American ports on the way.

There are 17 decks in total, of which 14 are for passengers. There are 22 lifts for passenger use, plus another nine for crew and six for service purposes. That's in addition to four passenger stair towers.

Queen Mary 2 has a maximum passenger accommodation of 3 090, of which 2 620 are lower berth. The ship has 1 238 crew. The officers are mainly British.

The main entry to the ship is impressive, leading into a six-storey atrium, with the lobby featuring a grand staircase, interior glass lifts and a bridge located over the atrium on the highest level.

Seven restaurants/cafes cater for mealtimes while some of the pubs and the winter garden venue provide light meals.

Queen Mary 2 boasts the largest library at sea, featuring about 9 000 books including audio books and CD-Roms. The cinema and auditorium includes the only planetarium at sea where, apart from astronomy shows, passengers can undertake virtual reality movies such as a roller coaster ride.

There are also art galleries, lounges and terraces. The ship has no less than five swimming pools, one being only centimetres deep (for little children).

Eight jacuzzis, a SpaClub and general sports facilities that include two virtual reality golf machines are also available. The ship boasts a full 11-bed hospital with two doctors and five nurses on call, as well as a dispenser, physiotherapist and medical assistants.

If you have to take your pet on a cruise, there's a kennel complete with exercise area. Oh, and the ship boasts an art collection worth a cool £3.5 million (R40m).

Of the 1 310 staterooms, 73 percent feature balconies. There are 10 different types of staterooms, of which three quarters are outside-facing. Four forward suites can be combined to create a single suite of over 455 square metres, or grand duplex apartments on a slightly lower level can be combined to a potential 770 square metres.

Finally, some bits of information you shouldn't sail without, kindly provided by the Durban ships' agents King & Sons.

On board the Queen Mary 2 in a year, 1.35 million teabags are consumed along with 24 947kg of coffee, 1.28 million eggs and 420 000 packets of breakfast cereal. If your taste extends to smoked salmon, the ship will have 17 236kg of it, plus 112 944kg of potatoes, 1.32 million litres of fruit juice and, oh yes, 540 000 tooth picks.
http://www.capeargus.co.za/?fSectionId=3571&fArticleId=iol1268833263578Q562

Durbsboi

March 19th, 2010, 10:15 AM

Moyo Pier bar will be serving a special purple cocktail at half price between 5pm & 6pm in honor of the QM2's departure.

romanSA

March 19th, 2010, 03:20 PM

When? Today or on the day of arrival?

dysan1

March 19th, 2010, 04:23 PM

DB the pier bar is not complete or open to the public yet surely? they only just started construction on it...

p2bsa

March 24th, 2010, 09:11 AM

cross post from the Durban Thread... the biggest cruise industry development in South African history...

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b4/zuidafrica/QueenMaryinDurban.jpg

Queen Mary 2 arrived in Durban for the first time yesterday... I got this from my mates at the Daily News, which used this stunning pic on page 1!
It was a fantastic sight and in all the paper's - as it is one of the largest cruise liner's in the world... It held the biggest title up until 4 or so years ago...
I was a the Durban Point seeing it off last night and it was an unbelievable vibe - with literally thousands of people on large parts of the harbour's new north pier and at PYC, RNYC, Wilsons Wharf, and Ushaka Beach...
Durban was the QM2's first port of call on her maiden voyage to South Africa. She is enroute to Cape Town

Lydon

March 24th, 2010, 11:19 AM

I saw it on E News Primetime last night...looked awesome :banana:

Durbsboi

March 24th, 2010, 12:41 PM

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2705/4458969053_f76285b279_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4459750162_0494cb5404_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2737/4458973237_b76ebd96bd_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4017/4458972807_9c904c14ce_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4011/4458987517_e96c5f86f1_b.jpg

romanSA

March 25th, 2010, 08:17 AM

Nice shots, DB. The atomosphere was very nice at the viewpoints. It sucked, though, that the public couldn't drive closer to the ship.

RYebreAD

March 25th, 2010, 10:10 AM

Does anyone know when it comes into Cape Town?

Durbsboi

March 25th, 2010, 11:07 AM

Should be there now Rye, look at the webcam in the Durban Harbour thread :)

Thanks Jerome, I think the pics came out really crap, lol, busy editing them now.

http://i44.tinypic.com/15dapzm.jpg

http://i44.tinypic.com/9k2c1k.jpg

RYebreAD

March 25th, 2010, 11:13 AM

Cool, ill check...if it is there, i must have been sleepy this morning cuz i drive past the V&A on the way to work...;-)

romanSA

March 25th, 2010, 03:19 PM

Looks like Durbs may be getting 2 cruiseliner from next year, although the smaller new cruiseship, the Melody may be based out of CT for part of the time...

-------------------

High times for cruising
Thu, 25 Mar 2010 11:45

Good news for cruise fans... MSC Cruises South Africa have announced that they will be operating two cruise ships simultaneously out of local ports during the upcoming 2010/11 summer season. This comes on the back of increased demand from keen cruisers, no doubt spurred on by the successful MSC Sinfonia season.

The luxurious MSC Sinfonia, with a capacity of over 2100 passengers, enjoyed a highly successful maiden season operating out of Durban and will be back for a second extended cruise season from November 2010 until May 2011. She will be joined by the smaller ship — already well known to the South African public — the MSC Melody, with a capacity of just 1500 guests.

“The introduction of a second vessel will increase our capacity to over 100 000 passengers for the season and give the general public, and especially the conference and incentive corporate market, a greater choice, competitive pricing and more destinations from which to choose” said Stefano Vigoriti, newly appointed Managing Director of MSC Cruises South Africa.

He adds “the decision to operate two ships simultaneously in South African waters clearly shows MSC Cruises commitment to the South African market. MSC Cruises will also make important investments into improving embarkation facilities at the Port of Durban as well as developing and bettering other relevant exclusive Indian Ocean island destinations”.

“The phenomenal response to the MSC Sinfonia this past season has prompted MSC Cruises to boost its presence in the South African cruising market. With the realisation that it could support a second ship, the MSC Melody was the obvious choice, as she has proven to be so popular in the South African and Indian Ocean waters,” said Allan Foggitt, Marketing Director of Starlight Cruises, MSC Cruises General Sales Agent in South Africa.

MSC Sinfonia will continue its itinerary in and around the Indian Ocean Islands while MSC Melody will offer South African travellers new and varied cruise options and experiences. Itineraries will feature cruises out of Cape Town and offer longer cruises out of Durban with ports of call in Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion and Seychelles.

Both MSC Sinfonia and MSC Melody will offer early booking incentives and children under 18 years of age will still cruise and eat free — a feature that has already proved so popular for family holiday makers.

South Africa says arrivederci briefly to the MSC Sinfonia on April 4 when she departs for the European summer season in the Mediterranean. Her return to South African shores will be for an extended period starting in November 2010 and continue through to May 2011.

MSC Sinfonia hosts 777 cabins, of which 135 are suites with private balconies. The ship also boasts three restaurants, seven bars, two pools, the MSC Aurea Spa, a business and conference centre, an internet cafe, casino, cigar room, disco, fitness centre, golf simulator, library, card room, mini club, teen's club, exchange office and medical centre. The facilities and onboard activities allow for travellers to tailor make their own experience whilst in the luxurious surroundings.

MSC Melody is the smallest ship in MSC Cruises’ fleet, and is designed to meet the highest standards of Italian style and sophistication, whilst offering a relaxed and informal cruise-ship experience. With a capacity of just over 1500 guests, MSC Melody creates a more intimate feel on board, especially being the only ship designed with family in mind, with five bed cabins available. The ship's retractable, transparent Magrodome allows you to enjoy one of the two swimming pools and whirlpools even if the skies cloud over.

For more information, visit www.starlightcruises.co.za.

http://travel.iafrica.com/bulletinboard/2321020.htm

Mo Rush

March 25th, 2010, 07:50 PM

Queen Mary 2 has arrived Cape Town 25 March 2010 08h00
Thursday, 18 March 2010 08:50

Majesty, redefined.

Estimated Time of Arrival: Thursday, 25 March 2010 @ 08:00
Estimated Time of Departure: Friday, 26 March 2010 @ 18:00

JOIN US ON SOUTHERN CROSS to see her leave . our Cruise departs 17h30 . R200 per person .

Amount of Passengers on arrival: 3,000

Amount of Crew on arrival: 1,500
Amount of Passengers on arrival: 3,000

Berth: Eastern Mole (Duncan Dock)
Last Port of call: Durban
Next Port of call: St Helens

Queen Mary 2 is the most magnificent ocean liner ever built. Her every detail harkens to the Golden Age of Ocean Travel, while providing one of the most modern travel experiences on earth. From bow to stern, discover 13 spacious decks on which to relax and unwind; to indulge in pleasures and pursuits you never normally have time for. Opulent public areas, extravagant dining rooms, ballrooms, theatres, lounges...even the only Planetarium at sea.

It is only in a world like this that modern fairy tales at sea are possible - where ordinary travellers can feel like royalty for a week or two. But words can only do such a lady so much justice, for to truly revel in the grandeur that is Queen Mary 2, you must sail with her.

Length:1,132 feet

Beam:135 feet

Beam at Bridge Wings:147.5 feet

Draft:32 feet 10 inches

Height (Keel to Funnel):236.2 feet

Gross Tonnage:Approximately 151,400 gross tonnes

Guest Capacity:2592 lower berths,3056 maximum capacity (Including third and fourth berths)

Crew: 1,253

Cruising Speed:28.5 Knots
Power:157,000 horsepower, environmentally friendly, gas turbine/diesel electric plant

Propulsion:Four pods of 21.5 MW each; 2 fixed and 2 azimuthing

Strength:Extra thick steel hull for strength and stability for a Transatlantic Crossings

Stabilizers:Two sets

Cost:Estimated $800 million

source http://www.cunard-sa.com/sailingschedule.html

Mo Rush

March 25th, 2010, 07:53 PM

Thursday, March 25, 2010

25 March 2010 Queen Mary 2 (http://capetowndaily.blogspot.com/2010/03/25-march-2010-queen-mary-2.html)

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o2XglkEIhhM/S6sMVjR-JkI/AAAAAAAAAXQ/lYtGDXfaAKk/s400/petography.com+QM8.jpg (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o2XglkEIhhM/S6sMVjR-JkI/AAAAAAAAAXQ/lYtGDXfaAKk/s1600/petography.com+QM8.jpg) The worlds largest ocean liner docked in Cape Town harbour this morning. What a sight. It is really worth making the trip to town just to see this. She will be leaving again tomorrow at 18h00. Please click on these images to enlarge them.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o2XglkEIhhM/S6sMVfh6SzI/AAAAAAAAAXI/G37Dz8IMLmw/s400/petography.com+QM7.jpg (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o2XglkEIhhM/S6sMVfh6SzI/AAAAAAAAAXI/G37Dz8IMLmw/s1600/petography.com+QM7.jpg)

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o2XglkEIhhM/S6sMU_FmEPI/AAAAAAAAAXA/EKeZZchvj_Y/s400/petography.com+QM6.jpg (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o2XglkEIhhM/S6sMU_FmEPI/AAAAAAAAAXA/EKeZZchvj_Y/s1600/petography.com+QM6.jpg)

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o2XglkEIhhM/S6sMGXqKSlI/AAAAAAAAAW4/XSNJ8LOfGis/s400/petography.com+QM5.jpg (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o2XglkEIhhM/S6sMGXqKSlI/AAAAAAAAAW4/XSNJ8LOfGis/s1600/petography.com+QM5.jpg)

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o2XglkEIhhM/S6sMGB5yCRI/AAAAAAAAAWw/K01hR7I4Bs0/s400/petography.com+QM4.jpg (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o2XglkEIhhM/S6sMGB5yCRI/AAAAAAAAAWw/K01hR7I4Bs0/s1600/petography.com+QM4.jpg)

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o2XglkEIhhM/S6sMFyJivVI/AAAAAAAAAWo/trQ9XEzhh4w/s400/petography.com+QM3.jpg (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o2XglkEIhhM/S6sMFyJivVI/AAAAAAAAAWo/trQ9XEzhh4w/s1600/petography.com+QM3.jpg)

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o2XglkEIhhM/S6sMFm4D-1I/AAAAAAAAAWg/wpaWxfxYW9M/s400/petography.com+QM2.jpg (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o2XglkEIhhM/S6sMFm4D-1I/AAAAAAAAAWg/wpaWxfxYW9M/s1600/petography.com+QM2.jpg)

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o2XglkEIhhM/S6sMFN_EFzI/AAAAAAAAAWY/cMq8xlkMX0M/s400/petography.com+QM1.jpg (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o2XglkEIhhM/S6sMFN_EFzI/AAAAAAAAAWY/cMq8xlkMX0M/s1600/petography.com+QM1.jpg)

Mo Rush

March 25th, 2010, 07:58 PM

Cant wait for the cruise ship with stadium background pics to start rolling in!!

GetDownAdam

March 25th, 2010, 08:02 PM

http://i44.tinypic.com/15dapzm.jpg

This one gave me goose-bumps :)

Lydon

March 25th, 2010, 11:08 PM

Just saw it docked in the harbour and omg! It's massive.

There were a load of people parked along the side of the highway catching the perfect view.

Jakes1

March 25th, 2010, 11:38 PM

Saw her while driving back to my hotel tonight. Amazing. HUGE!

Mo Rush

March 26th, 2010, 12:25 AM

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2783/4462732119_f5edbc8b13_b.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/13/buddyicons/58879347@N00.jpg?1126639566#58879347@N00 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/flxy/) Uploaded on March 25, 2010 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/flxy/archives/date-posted/2010/03/25/)
by flxy (http://www.flickr.com/photos/flxy/)

Mo Rush

March 26th, 2010, 12:27 AM

http://www.turtlesa.co.za/blogimages/98a.jpg

Mo Rush

March 26th, 2010, 12:32 AM

QM2 sails into Cape Town

By John Honeywell (http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/captain-greybeard/john_honeywell) on Mar 25, 10 01:54 PM in Cruise ships (http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/captain-greybeard/cruise-ships/)

http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/captain-greybeard/capetown.jpgPlans to move retired liner QE2 to Cape Town may have fallen through, but her big sister, Queen Mary 2, arrived in the port today for the first time.
And on board for the maiden call was Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his role in the anti-apartheid campaign. He has been a guest speaker for the past few days during the QM2's world cruise.
He is pictured below with Captain Nick Bates and Cunard's president and managing director, Peter Shanks.
Proposals to move the QE2, currently tied up at a berth in Dubai, to provide accommodation for World Cup fans visiting Cape Town this summer, fell through when the city's tourist authorities said they couldn't find a berth.
http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/captain-greybeard/tutu.jpg

Mo Rush

March 26th, 2010, 12:35 AM

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y271/p51mustang/Miscl/QueenMary2-1.jpg

Leftfoot

March 26th, 2010, 07:32 AM

This ship entering Durban as I type this.

http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/showallphotos.aspx?mmsi=308785000

Live marine tracking here

http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/

Durbsboi

March 26th, 2010, 08:34 AM

Its such a shame none of the cities has a good enough cruise terminal to accommodate this beauty!

Mo Rush

March 26th, 2010, 05:39 PM

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4021/4464161221_89eab21737_b.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4464931952_ec352b29b1_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2794/buddyicons/47338785@N02.jpg?1265616445#47338785@N02 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/leisurecpt/) Uploaded on March 26, 2010 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/leisurecpt/archives/date-posted/2010/03/26/)
by Leisure Hotels Cape Town (http://www.flickr.com/photos/leisurecpt/)

Mo Rush

March 26th, 2010, 05:40 PM

Its such a shame none of the cities has a good enough cruise terminal to accommodate this beauty!

Speak for yourself! Our airport tent terminal is now our cruise ship terminal ! :)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4001/4465043276_2d4530d312_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2331/buddyicons/28242222@N06.jpg?1215115436#28242222@N06 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/greawessels/) Uploaded on March 26, 2010 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/greawessels/archives/date-posted/2010/03/26/)
by Grieks (http://www.flickr.com/photos/greawessels/)

Mo Rush

March 26th, 2010, 06:11 PM

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4054/4464709806_e82970b70d_o.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/buddyicons/17616653@N07.jpg?1264337520#17616653@N07 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hgroenewald/) Uploaded on March 26, 2010 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hgroenewald/archives/date-posted/2010/03/26/)
by hgroenewald (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hgroenewald/) http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2735/4463683346_dd49fdc528_o.jpg

p2bsa

March 26th, 2010, 08:28 PM

dysan1

March 27th, 2010, 01:43 AM

what u mean ur tent? sa did a terrible show. with the volume of cruise passengers dbn has and it is growing we need a proper cruise terminal

Lydon

March 27th, 2010, 12:48 PM

I think he was being sarcastic about the tent in the photo...

dysan1

March 28th, 2010, 04:16 PM

wow loads of people lining the shore there in Durbs, didnt think so many people would be interested in a ship...love the touch with the SA flag!!

dysan1

March 28th, 2010, 04:27 PM

Mo Rush

March 28th, 2010, 06:12 PM

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4468540628_58377fd681_b.jpgWhat traffic arrangements looked like for the Queen Mary 2's leaving Cape Town harbour. http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/buddyicons/17616653@N07.jpg?1264337520#17616653@N07 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hgroenewald/) Uploaded on March 28, 2010 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hgroenewald/archives/date-posted/2010/03/28/)
by hgroenewald (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hgroenewald/)

Andrew_za

March 28th, 2010, 09:50 PM

Speak for yourself! Our airport tent terminal is now our cruise ship terminal ! :)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4001/4465043276_2d4530d312_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2331/buddyicons/28242222@N06.jpg?1215115436#28242222@N06 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/greawessels/) Uploaded on March 26, 2010 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/greawessels/archives/date-posted/2010/03/26/)
by Grieks (http://www.flickr.com/photos/greawessels/)
I wonder if it is also award winning ;)
Hahaha that tent! one of those "only in Africa" moments

joburg

March 29th, 2010, 08:09 AM

I've been lucky enough to cruise on the Queen Mary 2. That ship is really absolutely beautiful! Magnificent proportions, particularly with that regal blue bow. Certainly an honour for a city to welcome her to its shores

Durbsboi

March 29th, 2010, 10:45 AM

Speak for yourself! Our airport tent terminal is now our cruise ship terminal ! :)

:rofl: its hard to get those multipurpose tents in Durban!

Im soo cheesed off, I asked Cunard both in the UK & their SA office if they can arrange for me to go on the ship from Durbs to CT, they said its not allowed and they cannot make any changes, but last night I see the Carte Blanche team did! :bash:

so what if they were doing a story! I could have been doing a cellphone documentary :D

Mo Rush

March 29th, 2010, 10:54 AM

:rofl: its hard to get those multipurpose tents in Durban!

Im soo cheesed off, I asked Cunard both in the UK & their SA office if they can arrange for me to go on the ship from Durbs to CT, they said its not allowed and they cannot make any changes, but last night I see the Carte Blanche team did! :bash:

so what if they were doing a story! I could have been doing a cellphone documentary :D

Dbn-Ct is allowed. You just have to know the right people.
Lunch and Dinner on the ship was allowed too.

Mo Rush

March 29th, 2010, 10:39 PM

Tons of cars lined the Harbour

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4006/4472798256_81b4b02aaf_o.jpg
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by SteveBailey2009 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevebaileyct/)

Mo Rush

March 29th, 2010, 10:41 PM

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4056/4472795094_835b175f69_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3454/buddyicons/40760280@N05.jpg?1248512758#40760280@N05 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevebaileyct/) Uploaded on March 29, 2010 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevebaileyct/archives/date-posted/2010/03/29/)
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Durbsboi

March 30th, 2010, 09:14 AM

Dbn-Ct is allowed. You just have to know the right people.
Lunch and Dinner on the ship was allowed too.

I tried Cunard UK, US & Whitestar in SA, all of which gave me the same answer :(

SA BOY

March 31st, 2010, 03:37 PM

Mo Rush

April 18th, 2010, 08:54 PM

Cruise holidays: Africa coasts into view as intrepid voyagers seek fresh horizons

By Travelmail Reporter (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=y&authornamef=Travelmail+Reporter)
Last updated at 6:46 PM on 18th April 2010

Comments (0) (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-1267044/Cruise-holidays-Africa-comes-focus-Cape-Town-Egypt-map.html#comments)
Add to My Stories (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-1267044/Cruise-holidays-Africa-comes-focus-Cape-Town-Egypt-map.html)

It's easy to cruise round South America, along both coasts of North America and across the Pacific to Australia. Europe and Asia's coasts are also packed with cruise ports. There are even cruises to Antarctica. But Africa seems to be missing out on the cruise boom.
Major cruise lines worry that African ports are poorly equipped, countries unstable and that there is a risk from pirates. But the continent has fantastic attractions, and pressure from cruisers hungry for new destinations is starting to persuade some firms to give Africa a try.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/04/18/article-1267044-09263DC7000005DC-722_634x453.jpg Into Africa: Cruising the African coastline is growing in popularity, with Cape Town one of the key ports
'Africa is the least developed continent in relation to cruising,' says Penny Guy of the London-based Passenger Shipping Association. 'There's potential for growth and we're expecting to see more ships calling in to African ports.'
MSC Cruises (www.msccruises.co.uk (http://www.msccruises.co.uk)) have already increased African trips this year, offering short cruises around South Africa from Durban, a 22-night trip from South Africa to Italy up the east coast via Egypt and a 17-night cruise from Italy to Cape Town down the west coast via Morocco, Senegal and Namibia.
A 14-night East African cruise from £1,399pp on MSC Sinfonia calls at Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique and South Africa.
More...

More fabulous voyages in our cruise section (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/holidaytypeshub/cruises.html)
Feature: Cruising in the heavenly Hebrides (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-1267005/UK-cruise-holidays-Hebrides-heaven.html)
Feature: A Saga cruise to Peru (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-1265033/The-Saga-Ruby-cruise-takes-Joan-Bakewell-Peru.html)

An even more adventurous itinerary comes from Princess Cruises (www.princess.com (http://www.princess.com)), with a 23-night cruise from Rome to Cape Town in October, sailing down Africa's west coast. Ports include Tangier and Casablanca, Dakar, Tema in Ghana, Lome in Togo, Cotonou in Benin, and Walvis Bay and Luderitz in Namibia. Prices start at £3,362pp.
The foodies' favourite cruise line, Oceania (www.oceaniacruises.com (http://www.oceaniacruises.com)), offers a comprehensive African west coast cruise in November. The 30-night sailing leaves Istanbul and visits Morocco, Senegal, Gambia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Namibia before disembarking in South Africa. Prices from £4,580.
Smaller operators give the best opportunities of exploring the African coast. Saga (www.saga.co.uk (http://www.saga.co.uk)) has a pioneering 31-night West African cruise in November. Sailing from Southampton, Saga Ruby's ports include Dakar, Freetown, San Pedro (Ivory Coast), Limbe (Cameroon), Port-Gentil (Gabon), Lome (Togo), Tema and Takoradi (Ghana), and Porto Grande (Cape Verde). Fares start at £4,874pp.

Mo Rush

May 18th, 2010, 11:09 AM

One of the two cruise ships that were initially planned to berth in RSA might be cancelled.
In this case, only the MS Noordam will visit South Africa during the World Cup.

World Cup Charter Cancelled

(7:07 p.m. EDT) -- One of two World Cup charters (http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=3864) planned by Germany's Moltke Promotion has been cancelled after the company said that demand for the sailings has not been as great as was originally anticipated. As a result, Moltke has scrapped its One Ocean Club (http://www.oneoceanclub.com/explore.html) voyages between Europe and South America and has asked Holland America Line (http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/cruiseline.cfm?CruiseLineID=21) to change its plans for Noordam (http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=362) -- one of two ships (along with Westerdam (http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=306)) that were to be used for the sailings.

According to a statement from HAL, Werner von Moltke, managing director of Moltke Promotion, says that, although demand for the cruises has been positive, there just weren't enough cabins sold to warrant a second charter. Representatives from Moltke Production were not immediately available for comment.

Again, Westerdam will still sail its scheduled voyages to and from South Africa as planned and will operate in Cape Town and Port Elizabeth between 13 June and 10 July; in the meantime, Noordam will stay in Europe and be put into an early dry dock, which was initially slated for January 2011. Following dry dock, the ship will again be chartered by Moltke Promotion for a lengthy voyage from Northern Europe to the Mediterranean. Both ships will resume their regular HAL sailings on 26 July with Noordam departing from Barcelona and Westerdam sailing out of Rotterdam.

All passengers on the affected sailing will be refunded in full by Moltke Production.

This is the second global sporting event charter to be canceled in less than four months. In February, plans to base NCL (http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/cruiseline.cfm?CruiseLineID=24)'s Norwegian Star (http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=198) in Vancouver as a floating hotel (http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=3672) for the 2010 Winter Olympics were axed due to a lack of interest.

--by Ashley Kosciolek, Copy Editor

romanSA

May 21st, 2010, 04:18 PM

Cup fans’ lack of interest scuppers luxury liners’ plans
May 21, 2010 12:08 AM
By BOBBY JORDAN

The docking in Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town of two "floating hotels" during the soccer World Cup has been cancelled because of lack of interest.

The two luxury cruise ships, among the most luxurious in the world, were to have docked at the three coastal cities during the tournament next month but, a shortage of bookings by football fans has scuppered the plan.

The managing director of tour operator Ikapa Tours and Travel, Kobus van Heerden, yesterday confirmed that the deal was off.

“The whole thing has been canned,” said Van Heerden, whose company had been contracted to provide shore services for the ships’ passengers.

“All along it became evident that they could not get the passengers [to stay] on the vessel. They cancelled earlier this week.”

The news is a further blow to the tourism industry following news that air-ticket and accommodation bookings for the tournament period have been much lower than expected.

This week, the disappointing figures were raised in Parliament, where the department of sports and recreation came under fire for poor marketing of the event.

Van Heerden said the Noordam and Westerd am liners — each of which has 950 cabins — were among the most sought-after “hotels” for the World Cup.

But the plan appears to have been ill- conceived.

The Westerd am will call at South African ports, but only to drop off tourists. It will pick up passengers at the end of the tournament.

The vessels will no longer offer accommodation during the event, Van Heerden said.

“It has nothing to do anymore with the soccer World Cup because they couldn’t sell enough cabins to make the project economically viable,” Van Heerden said.

Boris Leyck, the Cape Town representative of One Ocean Club, which chartered the vessels, yesterday confirmed the cancellation, but would not comment further.

According to the cruise website, accommodation on the ship would have cost up to $9 425 (R71 000) per person sharing a five-night package.

Each liner can carry 1 918 passengers, in addition to 800 crew.

The ships have their own fitness centre, cinema, casino, spa and several restaurants.

http://www.go2010.co.za/

http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article461275.ece/Floating-hotels-snubbed

dysan1

May 23rd, 2010, 05:41 PM

shoo over priced a bit?? what happens to the people who did book?

Mo Rush

June 20th, 2010, 10:20 PM

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4064/4714465859_7bf97ecd83_b.jpghttp://l.yimg.com/g/images/buddyicon.jpg#49499461@N03 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/49499461@N03/) Uploaded on June 19, 2010 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/49499461@N03/archives/date-posted/2010/06/19/)
by capetownphoto (http://www.flickr.com/photos/49499461@N03/)

Project Director

July 4th, 2010, 07:07 PM

big wow pic.

Durbsboi

July 6th, 2010, 12:09 PM

That wheel looks awesome at night

Mo Rush

July 12th, 2010, 09:17 PM

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4123/4784285012_893b6eed08_b.jpghttp://farm5.static.flickr.com/4080/4783370040_b438b82f6c_b.jpgLicense http://l.yimg.com/g/images/cc_icon_attribution_small.gifhttp://l.yimg.com/g/images/cc_icon_sharealike_small.gif (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en) Some rights reserved (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/) by BigBlackBox (bad luck HOLLAND! SWC 2010) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bigblackbox/)

Durbsboi

July 13th, 2010, 12:52 PM

So was speaking to the port manager of CT last week, only 1 out of the 3 promised Cruise liners were in SA for the WC... good thing too as we did have more than enough accommodation due to MATCH's fuck up

Mo Rush

July 13th, 2010, 01:03 PM

Durbsboi

July 13th, 2010, 01:30 PM

it just stayed in CT according to him.... He was down to attend that NPA bash before the semi final, Jacob & Sepp made everyone late.

Mo Rush

August 11th, 2010, 11:37 AM

Cape Town, Durban and PE and Richards bay and East London!

Princess Cruises announces details for 2011-2012 India and Africa Cruise Season

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Vast desert landscapes, sun-washed beaches, grand bazaars and striking shrines form the backdrop to the exotic worlds of India and Africa. Princess Cruises’ 2011-12 Exotic cruise season will offer passengers a selection of voyages featuring these distinctive destinations, including a sailing along the coast of West Africa. In total, four extended cruises offer the opportunity to visit 38 intriguing ports. Home to a variety of vibrant cultures and the world’s most unique array of fascinating wildlife, African ports delight adventurous passengers. India contrasts with the hustle and bustle of cosmopolitan cities and the more spiritual atmosphere surrounding architectural treasures such as the iconic Taj Majal.

Voyages including Africa or India offer the opportunity for a multi-continent adventure, featuring ports in Europe and Asia as well. Ranging from 28 to 46 days, these extensive sailings feature either the intimate ambiance of Ocean Princess or the Aussie-style cruising of Sun Princess, which sails round-trip from Perth.
“Africa and India are filled with the magnificent sights so many of us dream about visiting,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president. “Open spaces filled with roaming wildlife, colorful civilizations and rich history never fail to capture the imagination in these exotic ports. Princess pioneered cruising in many of these locales, and we continue to offer our expertise to passengers looking for an exciting adventure in these destinations.”

India brings to mind the vibrant world of Bollywood movies and spicy atmosphere. Cosmopolitan Mumbai is a gateway for travel to the Taj Mahal, the famed monument of pearlescent stones that stands as a testament to eternal love. Passengers may also visit the coconut palm-lined beaches in Cochin, a historic port town where colonial architecture display the rich cultures that influenced the city. In Goa, travelers can explore the quaint village of Old Goa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Princess’ unique West Africa Adventure itinerary offers passengers the opportunity to explore the continent’s intriguing coastline. The Namibian ports Luderitz and Walvis Bay boast historic German imperial style buildings and are a bird-lover’s paradise, hosting thousands of flamingos, penguins, and ostriches. Mysterious voodoo presentations and grand markets pepper Lom?, Togo with rich African flair. Known for its "teranga" (hospitality), Dakar, Senegal features natural wonders such as Lake Retba, named for its rose-pink colored waters.
In South Africa, Cape Town offers sand, surf, wineries, and stunning views of Table Mountain and the Cape of Good Hope. Port Elizabeth provides opportunities to encounter wildlife with nearby game reserves and national parks set on vast savannas. In Durban, vibrant flowers, sweet smells of spices, and cultural encounters with the fabled Zulu tribe offer a true sense of modern Africa.

Northern Africa features the pyramids and other archeological treasure of Egypt, where visitors can see many of the country’s iconic attraction when ships call at Safaga for Luxor and Karnak. Legendary Casablanca blends African, French, and Middle Eastern influences, particularly in dazzling bazaars filled with rich fabrics and antique ware.
Africa and India cruises:
Mediterranean, India & Asia - For a three-continent adventure, passengers can sail on a 28-day voyage from Rome to Singapore aboard Ocean Princess. The small ship will take cruisers to Sorrento, Athens, and Kusadasi (for Ephesus) before transiting the Suez Canal and continuing on to Sharm El Sheik, Aqaba (for Petra) Safaga (for Luxor/Karnak), Dubai, Muscat, Mumbai, Cochin, and Kuala Lumpur. Ocean Princess departs on October 15, 2011.

West Africa Adventure - A unique opportunity to explore the African coast, this 28-day journey onboard the small ship Ocean Princess travels from Cape Town to London (Dover). Travelers can explore a variety of African destinations plus and European ports beginning with a overnight stay in Cape Town. Calls include the Namibian ports of L?deritz and Walvis Bay, Cotonou (Benin), Lom? (Togo), Tema (Ghana), Dakar (Senegal), Cape Verde Islands, Canary Islands, Casablanca, Seville, Lisbon, and Paris/Normandy before arriving in Dover. The sailing departs on May 6, 2012.
Africa, India & Southeast Asia - The intimate Ocean Princess also offers a 30-day journey from Singapore to Cape Town. Passengers can enjoy the small ship experience on an itinerary to Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Maldives, Mumbai, Muscat, Dubai, Mauritius, Reunion Island, Durban, and East London, plus an overnight call in Cape Town. Travelers have the option to visit the Taj Mahal in India or take a safari to Phinda Private Game Reserve in South Africa. The sailing departs on April 6, 2012 and can be combined with the West Africa Adventure for a 58 day Grand Adventure cruise from Singapore to Dover.

South Africa & Indian Ocean Odyssey - On a 46-day roundtripsailing from Perth, travelers cover several continents during their voyage. Sun Princess will call at Asian ports such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Phuket, then move on to India with visits to Mumbai, Goa, and the Maldives. After crossing the Equator, the ship visits the Seychelles, and the South African ports of Richard’s Bay, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, and Durban. The ship calls at Reunion Island and Mauritius before returning to Perth. Sun Princess departs on May 3, 2011.

GregPz

August 11th, 2010, 01:05 PM

^^ And East London and Richards Bay from looking at those itineraries.

p2bsa

October 15th, 2010, 07:32 PM

Seatrade* African Cruise Forum - Durban 2011

Africa's emerging cruise market
With the world's thirst for new cruise destinations, the potential that exists around the African continent offers real opportunities.

A large part of the new potential market lies on the Indian Ocean coasts. The African Cruise Forum will be taking place in Durban, directly following on from INDABA 2011, one of the largest African tourism marketing events.

In conjunction with the Cruise Indian Ocean Association (CIOA) and the KwaZulu-Natal Tourism Authority, the Seatrade African Cruise Forum will bring together executives from the major cruise lines with regional stakeholders, to discuss how to take advantage of these opportunities.

Please register your interest to be kept up-to-date with the Forum's programme – or contact Lynn Olorenshaw at lolorenshaw@seatrade-global.com

Seatrade African Cruise Forum 2011
10 May 2011 - 12 May 2011
Fairmont Zimbali Lodge & Resort, Durban

http://www.africancruiseforum.com/index.html
http://www.seatrade-global.com/index.php?ac=2&lac=24&lan=en

* Founded in 1970, Seatrade is a well-established brand in the international cruise and maritime community. Its publications, events, management training, award schemes and websites cover every aspect of cruise and maritime activity and are known and respected around the globe.

Andrew_za

October 23rd, 2010, 04:59 PM

From Mumbai to Cape Town by boat

An Indian Ocean cruise opens new worlds, from hectic cities to fragile islands and African safaris

The extremes of Mumbai, the possibility of pirates near Somalia, threatened islands in the Indian Ocean and safaris in Africa. As several friends said when we returned to Canada, "That was a serious cruise!"

Like many Canadians, we enjoy cruising but are always on the lookout for something different. We found it on the Indian Ocean with Regent Seven Seas Cruises, known for its luxury ships and exotic itineraries. When we discovered a two-week cruise from the Indian metropolis of Mumbai to Cape Town in South Africa, we took a deep breath and jumped.

We were warned about the paradox of Mumbai (formerly Bombay) with its grinding poverty adjacent to ostentatious wealth. Arriving by plane late at night reinforced the city's dual identity as our hotel limo worked its way through auto-and rickshaw-clogged streets, passing cardboard shacks and areas of opulence, on the way to the Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai.

Mumbai has an estimated 15 million to 20 million people, so a hurried and crowded street life was expected. What wasn't expected was the gentle nature of the people and the positive energy radiating from the city. Tourism has become a big business, with top hotels and world-class restaurants.

But we had a ship to catch. Regent's Seven Seas Voyager awaited at the downtown pier next to the Gateway of India.

The 700-passenger Seven Seas Voyager is the world's second all-suite, all-balcony cruise ship (its sister ship, Seven Seas Mariner, was the first). Its staterooms are large and well equipped, and the service is of a high standard with an outstanding passenger-to-crew ratio.

Comfort is important but so is a stimulating itinerary. Ron and Gay Shannon of Calgary said that this, their 13th cruise, was one of the best. "This is a new and exciting part of the world for us," they said. "It's a perfect fit."

We sailed south to our first stop, the port of Kochi (formerly Cochin). There, passengers took a bus through rural south India to a region of backwaters and canals where snake boat races take place. About 75 colourfully clad oarsmen paddled each of a dozen narrow, ram-snouted snake boats to the beat of drums. Dancers and musicians entertained as winners hoisted the victors' cup.

As we left land and headed out into the Indian Ocean, guest lecturer Jean-Michel Cousteau, the famed oceanographer and filmmaker, gave the first of a series of illustrated lectures about the sea and its influence. "The Indian Ocean is ... critical in many ways," Cousteau told us as we approached the Maldives. "With huge populations surrounding it, this ocean is more in peril than the Atlantic or Pacific. I give the fishing industry 20 years at most unless drastic action is taken."

Cousteau has a particular interest in climate change and its effect on small island states threatened by rising waters. The Maldives with its 26 atolls, he noted, are just two metres above sea level at their highest point. The island nation of 400,000 is ahead of many countries in planning for the future. President Mohamed Nasheed, he said, is putting aside money from a special tourist tax to move the population to another country, if necessary. Cousteau thinks that could happen within 50 years.

Even the Seychelles, also in the mid-Indian Ocean but with high hills, is not immune to water disasters. "Five years ago, the Seychelles were hit by a tsunami," Cousteau said. "It destroyed a lot of the reefs and the coastline. It was a wake-up call."

After stops in the Maldives and Seychelles, we headed for the east coast of Africa and possible danger from Somali pirates. The Seven Seas Voyager seemed prepared. Officers wouldn't talk specifics other than to say, "Don't worry; we've taken precautions." But it was common knowledge among passengers and crew that six or seven Israeli commandos were on board to deal with any problems. There was no sign of trouble as we sailed the calm waters toward Mombassa, Kenya.

We, like many passengers, always have wanted to go on an African safari but were reluctant to brave a long stay. Doing it by cruise ship proved to be an ideal compromise. From Mombassa (East Africa's largest port and Kenya's major tourist centre with its long, sandy beaches), we joined a group for a two-hour drive to the Tsavo Game Reserve. Among the close-up sightings from our open-top vans were elephants, giraffes, zebras, baboons, hyenas, springbok, warthogs and ostriches.

The island of Zanzibar, off the coast of Tanzania, is famous for its spices, and a guide at a farm showed us how spices like clove, nutmeg, mace, green, red and black pepper, vanilla, cinnamon and lemon grass are grown and harvested. A worker even shimmied up a tall palm to cut off a few succulent coconuts for us to enjoy.

Our final adventure took place near Richard's Bay, South Africa, where we toured by small boat through the St. Lucia Wetland Nature Reserve. Home to more than 500speciesof birds, LakeSt. Lucia has the highest concentration of crocodiles and hippos in South Africa. Travelling slowly, we were able to get within a few metres of these beasts. We were under strict orders to keep hands and feet inside the boat!

As we headed south toward our final stop, Cape Town, the ship's hotel manager told us, "North Americans like to explore new places and we want to deliver those. They've been to the Caribbean and Mediterranean. They're keen to see even more exotic places but want to feel safe in doing so."

Pat Dixon of Edmonton agreed: "You realize how small the world really is."

For more information on Regent Seven Seas Cruises, go to www.rssc.com.

A good general cruise site (locations, ships etc.) is www.vacationstogo.com.

© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette

romanSA

November 9th, 2010, 03:09 PM

Sinfonia heads for Durban
Tue, 09 Nov 2010 6:12

http://travel.iafrica.com/assets/13/88/89949/148879.JPEG

The cruise liner MSC Sinfonia returns to her Southern African home port of Durban this Friday (12 November) for the start of a second summer cruise season in the Indian Ocean.

The popular nine storey, 2100-passenger ship, which enjoyed a bumper 2009/2010 maiden season out of the balmy KwaZulu-Natal port city, will immediately embark on a full six-month schedule of cruises to Mozambique, Mauritius and Reunion through to May next year.

One of the MSC Cruises stable of 11 cruise liners and by far the finest floating hotel ever to operate locally, MSC Sinfonia was last seen in KwaZulu Natal at the end of April this year. She has spent the European summer cruising in the Mediterranean Sea.

Her 17-night southbound voyage from Genoa in Italy on 23 October enjoyed ports of call in France, Spain, Morocco, Senegal and Namibia while sailing from the Mediterranean, down the West Coast of Africa to Cape Town – her first port of call in South Africa.

MSC Sinfonia departed Cape Town at sunset the same day on her opening three-night coastal cruise to Durban. She is expected to dock at 9am on Friday.

The ship’s first cruise out of Durban will be a weekend voyage to Mozambique with a stop at the uninhabited Portuguese Island.

The rest of the season will predominantly feature the popular three- and four-night cruises to Mozambique with stops in the capital city of Maputo, the trendy water sports resort of Barra Lodge and Portuguese Island.

MSC Sinfonia will be joined in December by the more intimate 1500-passenger MSC Melody cruise liner, which will be offering new Atlantic and Indian Ocean destinations from Cape Town and Durban. Together the two ships are expected to set a new cruising record in South Africa this summer with a bumper 69 departures scheduled out of local ports.

MSC Sinfonia enjoys the trademark Italian design and superlative style of all MSC Cruises’ ships. This combined with the most contemporary infrastructure, accommodation, fine cuisine in a range of restaurants, top class around the clock entertainment as well as sport and leisure options sets a new standard for South African cruising .

Her extensive range of top class facilities in an elegant, contemporary environment, feature 777 cabins, of which 134 are suites with private balconies and 503 outside cabins, three restaurants and a buffet out on deck, 7 bars, a cigar lounge, disco, casino, business and conference centre. There is also a Spa and beauty centre, 2 swimming pools, a sports centre, golf simulator, library, card room, children’s playroom, teenagers club, a shopping area with duty free shops and boutiques, an internet cafe and a medical centre.

Visit www.msccruises.com or www.starlight.co.za for more information on both MSC Sinfonia and MSC Melody for the 2010/11 SA season.

http://travel.iafrica.com/bulletinboard/685480.html

romanSA

November 10th, 2010, 09:56 AM

Looks like a wild party is coming up...

------------------

2000 will rock the boat
Infamous booze cruise from Durban to Mozambique is already sold out

Nov 9, 2010 10:25 PM
By GABISILE NDEBELE

Two thousand party animals are expected to board the MSC Sinfonia on a cruise to Mozambique next month for the Miller Rock the Boat weekend party.

Now in its second year, the coveted booze cruise is sold out. Punters paid from R12000 for a four-sleeper cabin to R14400 for a two-sleeper for the three-day trip, which leaves Durban harbour on December 10.

The frenetic line-up of local entertainment includes rock band Prime Circle, rapper HHP, comedians Trevor Noah and Loyiso Gola, rock bands Crash Car Burn and Flash Republic, and DJs Fresh, Euphonik, Grant Nash, Anele Mdoda and Kenzhero.

The cruise is not for the fainthearted - the revellers have a "we'll sleep at home" philosophy.

Last year, The Times witnessed pensioners walking in a daze around the ship, wondering what was going on and seeking refuge in the vessel's casino.

There were also reports last year of a drunken couple having sex at the pool side, in full view of revellers, and of inebriated guests throwing deck chairs into the sea.

But bloggers on the cruise's Facebook site said they had a wonderful time and disputed allegations of over-the-top behaviour.

Now many young travellers can't wait to go back.

"I wanna rock the boat! Please," wrote Carrie Hayden.

Another, Michelle Reek, wrote: "Whoop. From tomorrow we've got one more month and a couple of days and we get on board Miller Rock The Boat!!

"You can't believe how much excitement there is. It's amazing."

The ship, which arrives in Durban from Europe today, has 778 cabins, of which 135 are suites with private balconies.

The vessel also boasts 10 bars, three nightclubs, four restaurants, two swimming pools, a spa, a cinema, shops, a casino, a sun deck and an internet cafe.

The cruise was the brainchild of Shaun Borowsky, who said that the ship was "completely prepared and ready to host 2000 people".

"We've hired an extra team of security guards and more English-speaking personnel.

"Last year there was a communication barrier with the international staff on the boat," he said.

"We want people to feel safe while they have a good time, and to know they are in safe hands."

Each cruise ticket includes breakfast, lunch and a three-course dinner - but no doubt the revellers will still spend thousands of rands on alcohol, which is not included in the price.

http://www.timeslive.co.za/entertainment/article754326.ece/2000-will-rock-the-boat

dysan1

November 10th, 2010, 10:50 AM

They should seriously make people aware that if they book that cruise it is the rock the boat cruise. For elderly people or people that were planning a great quite getaway and then find they on the insane party trip is not fair and should be able to demand a refund.

That said, i wish i was on it!

Durbsboi

November 11th, 2010, 12:35 PM

Me too, I missed out on it again :cry:

ToxicBunny

November 11th, 2010, 03:16 PM

I had tickets being offered to me, but the person offering them wanted to make like a 70% markup... and that was just madness....

romanSA

November 29th, 2010, 09:46 AM

Minister calls for state investment in fast-growing cruise sector

Cruise tourism offers growth and job-creation opportunities for SA, but local, provincial and national government must invest in the sector.

EDWARD WEST
Published: 2010/11/29 06:17:29 AM

CRUISE tourism, a fast-growing industry globally, offers growth and job-creation opportunities for SA, but local, provincial and national government must invest in the sector, Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk says.

At the launch of the South African Cruise Ship Initiative in Durban on Friday, Mr van Schalkwyk said tourism is a "rough competitive business", but the government has realised what the private sector has known for a long time — that tourism, which has grown consistently in SA for 16 years, is helping SA to realise its economic growth objectives.

He said: "The figures for tourist arrivals show that, from January to August this year, our tourist arrivals were more than 5,2-million, an increase of 17,4% compared with the first eight months of last year ."

The government is taking a "more nuanced approach" by identifying niche markets that offer good growth potential, such as cruise ships, Mr Van Schalkwyk said, with that industry growing from 1,4-million passengers in 1980 to an estimated 15,4-million by last year .

Mansoor Mohammed, chairman of the National Cruise Ship Steering Committee, said SA holds only 0,5% of the Southern African cruise ship market, "hardly scratching the surface".

He said immediate challenges in the industry include creating multipurpose cruise-line facilities at SA’s ports; improving visitor reception facilities, which is "long overdue"; encouraging more SA- flagged vessels; promoting employment opportunities on cruise ships; and linking c ruise liner-related opportunities to inland tourism.

MSC Cruises MD Stefano Vigoriti said the company, the biggest operator of cruise ships in SA , is considering bringing even bigger cruise liners to SA to cater for the growth of the industry.

Mike Mabuyakhulu, KwaZulu- Natal’s MEC for economic development and tourism, said cruise ship tourism is "virgin territory ", yet will play a big role in the growth of tourism in SA. Tourism contributed about 8% of SA’s gross domestic product, a figure which could rise to about 12% "in the coming years", Mr Mabuyakhulu said.

He said a conference will be held "soon" to consider the requirements of cruise liners and to expose the opportunities for cruises in East Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands.

weste@bdfm.co.za

http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=128060

romanSA

November 29th, 2010, 09:47 AM

Maritime graduates needed
Nov 29, 2010
Khulekani Mazibuko

KWAZULU Natal MEC for tourism Mike Mabuyakhulu has appealed to the youth to take up maritime studies as the province prepares to focus on cruise line tourism to attract visitors.

Mabuyakhulu's call comes after the launch of the Cruise line Tourism Rapport which was held aboard the luxurious MSC Sinfonia passenger ship at Durban Harbour on Friday.

"As the province looks to develop its cruise line tourism, we will need more young people for different types of jobs. Maritime schools offer a variety of courses which can help local youth with qualifications that can secure them employment," Mabuyakhulu said.

He said the province had already made its mark as Durban was to host the Sea Trade African Workshop, where leading cruise line executives, including Sea Trade organisers, would be informed of the cruise line potential of East Africa and the Indian Ocean.

Mabuyakhulu said there were already plans and strategies to develop the province and the rest of the East Coast Africa cruise tourism potential. "Cruise tourism is a newly found star in the tourism basket products, and it needs to be exploited fully."

Minister of Tourism Martinus van Schalkwyk said: "The development of cruise line tourism as a niche market would improve South Africa's reputation as a world class tourism destination. Global cruise line tourism grew from 1,4million passengers in 1980 to 15,4million by last year."

http://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/2010/11/29/maritime-graduates-needed

romanSA

November 29th, 2010, 10:01 AM

SA to bolster cruise tourism
November 29 2010 at 06:01am
By Samantha Enslin-Payne

Independent Newspapers

Improved port facilities for cruise tourism in South Africa are essential if the country wants to capitalise on a global industry that is expected to grow to more than 28 million passengers by 2025 from the current 15.4 million.

A report shows that there could be a significant return on public sector funding, but only if more or as many international tourists compared with locals view South Africa as a prime cruise destination.

Minister of Tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk said on Friday: “We need investment in port facilities. We want to be part of this industry as tourists, working on board and as operators.”

SA Cruise Tourism, a report on the prospects, benefits and strategies for the industry that was released by the department on Friday, says the return on public sector funding would be an estimated R14.81 for every R1 spent in terms of a medium passenger forecast of more than 400 000 by 2025. For low and high passenger forecasts (of 200 000 and almost 1 million, respectively) the returns would be R11.49 and R48.83, respectively. But the report says: “If international passenger numbers do not materialise as envisaged then the project is not viable from a South African perspective.”

Public sector funding includes investments in new passenger terminals at ports and marketing of South Africa to cruise liners.

Mansoor Mohamed, the chairman of the national cruise steering committee, said in the long-term coastal cities must look at creating multi-purpose cruise liner facilities, but the immediate need to improve cruise visitor reception must not be ignored.

Currently, tourists embarking on cruise liners at the Durban port use an area that is frequented by cargo trucks.

Mohammed said incentives to encourage more South African flagged vessels must be considered “if we are serious about increasing our share of the global cruise liner market from 0.05 percent to more than 1 percent over the next decade”.

Kgomotso Phihlela, the chief executive of Transnet National Port Authority (NPA), said R5 million had been approved for a feasibility study to assess a passenger terminal at the Durban port. By the end of next year a concept would be finalised for a terminal at the Point. He said the passenger terminal would be integrated with the new NPA head office and would include a shopping precinct. He estimated that the entire development would not cost less than R500m and that the terminal could be operating by 2014.

But MSC Cruises, which is operating out of the Durban port this summer with its cruise ship Sinfonia, wants a passenger terminal far sooner.

Stefano Vigoriti, the managing director of MSC Cruises South Africa, said: “We need the terminal done in three years or sooner”, adding that MSC could contribute financially to building the terminal.

He said MSC could establish a local company to set up the terminal, in response to comments by the minister that locals needed to be part of the industry as operators, not just as tourists.

The cruise industry internationally has expanded from 1.4 million passengers in 1980 to about 15 million currently and is expected to grow to between 23.1 million and 28.1 million by 2025. This makes cruises one of the fastest-growing sectors in tourism.

Cruise passenger levels in South Africa could rise from 200 000 to almost 1 million passengers in 2025.

Economic benefits include port charges, spending by international crew, earnings by local crew and spending by the ship operator, among other things. The contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to increase from R682m this year to R1.3 billion in 2025. It is estimated that the cumulative contribution to GDP by 2025 will be R14bn. - Business Report

http://www.iol.co.za/business/business-news/sa-to-bolster-cruise-tourism-1.878592

Mo Rush

November 29th, 2010, 10:02 AM

romanSA

November 29th, 2010, 11:48 AM

Who knows if the state will invest in cruise terminals.

Durban will significantly benefit since an Olympic bid would require thousands of rooms on cruise ships, and cruise facilities could be a major legacy.

Of course, it will take all cities along the coast of South Africa, to offer a sustainable route.

Perhaps not the government itself, per se, but Transnet has already allocated R5m for a feasibility study to be completed in 6 months for the construction of an integrated passenger terminal at Durban's Point Waterfront. See the Point Waterfront thread. Richards Bay is also considering building a passenger cruise terminal. Given their better all-year round climate, SA's east coast cities are obviously key to establishing SA's cruise tourism industry so it's great that Durban and Richards Bay are moving in the direction of establishing such facilities.

dysan1

November 29th, 2010, 04:29 PM

Kgomotso Phihlela, the chief executive of Transnet National Port Authority (NPA), said R5 million had been approved for a feasibility study to assess a passenger terminal at the Durban port. By the end of next year a concept would be finalised for a terminal at the Point. He said the passenger terminal would be integrated with the new NPA head office and would include a shopping precinct. He estimated that the entire development would not cost less than R500m and that the terminal could be operating by 2014.

But MSC Cruises, which is operating out of the Durban port this summer with its cruise ship Sinfonia, wants a passenger terminal far sooner.

Stefano Vigoriti, the managing director of MSC Cruises South Africa, said: “We need the terminal done in three years or sooner”, adding that MSC could contribute financially to building the terminal.

He said MSC could establish a local company to set up the terminal, in response to comments by the minister that locals needed to be part of the industry as operators, not just as tourists.

http://www.iol.co.za/business/business-news/sa-to-bolster-cruise-tourism-1.878592

Here lies the crux. If MSC are willing to contribute financially to this development that is very positive news. They clearly want to establish a strong footprint in the area before the competition arrives. This development will be incredibly positive for the SA tourism industry and not just Durban, as it will offer an additional compelling reason to visit SA, see the region and other cities will benefit. Durban is well suited for year round cruising and will be the natural epicentre for the regional cruise industry. The outcomes of the Seatrade conference in Durban next year will be very interesting to see. Hopefully Durban will lead the way, but other ports that will benefit follow suit (most importantly in our neighbouring countries)

romanSA

November 30th, 2010, 11:38 AM

I like the part about investing in a R500m development in Durbs, with a shopping precinct. Will be a fantastic complement to the Point Waterfront (and the nearby Victoria Embankment Waterfront). From the language used by Transnet and the Tourism Ministry, the building of a new passenger terminal in Durban, at the Point, seems to be a virtual certainty now, not just a vague possibility anymore. It's just a matter of when, not if. Will be good to get certainty before a SA Olympic bid is made (if one is going to be made next year), so that this can be factored into the bid documents and proposed accommodation plans. Would also be great if it could be built waay before 2014 (hopefully MSC will come to the party in this respect).

If Transnet, through its division, the National Ports Authority, permit it, the Point Small Craft Harbour could be built alongside this development, and linked to current system of canals (although the cost of doing so could be exorbitant). That way, Vetchies beach will be left untouched (pleasing the watersport clubs), and the Point will still get a small craft harbour (pleasing the city / Brink etc). Everyone wins. However, I am not sure if there's space for a combined small craft harbour and cruise ship terminal development next to the NSRI building, where the cruise terminal is touted to be built. Further, I don't think the city will be prepared to foot the costs of extending the current canal system to the vicinity of the NSRI building. Lastly, I don't think the NPA will want to add more small crafts to the traffic of the harbour / harbour mouth, or give up some of their land for a small craft harbour, so will be unlikely to approve such a proposal.

DBN-boom

November 30th, 2010, 12:25 PM

Cruise-liner terminal for Durban a step closer

SUREN NAIDOO
DURBAN is set to boast South Africa’s first dedicated integrated cruise-liner terminal, which could cost up to R2 billion to build and be ready by 2014, according to Transnet National Port Authority chief executive Khomotso Phihlela.
He was speaking to The Mercury on the sidelines of the launch of the Cruise Tourism Report by Minister of Tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk aboard the MSC Sinfonia cruise liner docked in Durban Harbour.
Phihlela said a site next to the multibillion-rand Durban Point Waterfront development was seen as the prime location.
A cruise-liner passenger terminal has been touted for years with the makeshift N-Shed warehouse within the busy Durban port seen as less than ideal.
With the boom in cruise tourism out of Durban, and mounting pressure from MSC Cruises, the port authority has finally approved funding for a detailed feasibility study for a terminal.
“The study will develop a concept design and vision for the precinct. It will also identify what needs to be done to make it sustainable.
“This is why we are looking at an integrated cruise-passenger terminal adjoining the Durban Point Waterfront development at Berth C inside the harbour.
“We have approved R5 million for a six-month feasibility study to be undertaken between January and June next year,” said Phihlela.
“The study will present us with a way forward… We are looking at partnering with the private sector on such a development.
“After the study is complete, tenders inviting expressions of interest will go out and we hope to break ground and have a facility in place by 2014,” he added.
“The basic port infrastructure for such a development is already in place, so we are looking at an investment of not less than R500m and up to R2bn. This could be done as a public-private partnership with funding coming from Transnet, the private sector partner and the eThekwini municipality.
“The integrated cruise-passenger terminal would include shopping and touristy elements and could also house Transnet’s headquarters.
“We want to leverage off the Durban Point Waterfront and present cruise passengers with a top-notch |arrival and departures facility.
“Currently we are solely looking at Durban for such a facility, because of its high cruise-tourist numbers and growth potential. Cape Town has a rudimentary facility,” Phihlela said.
Stefano Vigoriti, managing director of MSC Cruises in South Africa, welcomed plans for the cruise-passenger terminal in Durban, but said it needed to be finalised and construction needed to start within three years.
“The feasibility study is a good first step and a passenger terminal does not take long to build.
“Insufficient infrastructure for cruise tourism in Durban won’t stall growth for now.
“However, the extraordinary growth over the last few years means authorities need to act now to have a facility built within the next three to four years.
“The lack of proper cruise-terminal infrastructure could inhibit growth in the future and business could go elsewhere,” he said.

SOURCE: The Mercury (29 January 2010)

romanSA

November 30th, 2010, 01:00 PM

Yum, yum, yum! Bring it on!! Looks like the focus is purely on Durban. Seems CT, PE, and Richards Bay will have to fund their own cruise terminals if they want it.

dysan1

November 30th, 2010, 02:59 PM

^^ Roman...they dont currently need then to be honest. Cape Town does need a small one to handle the odd ships it gets, but it does not handle the volume of people that go through Durban every few days (i.e. nearly 3000 on and off per ship visit)

p2bsa

December 1st, 2010, 04:03 AM

dysan1

December 8th, 2010, 10:42 AM

Here is the link to get the SA Cruise tourism report which was release last week.

http://www.tourism.gov.za:8001/PublicDocuments/2010_11_26/SA_Cruise_Tourism_Report2010.pdf

Mo Rush

December 8th, 2010, 03:33 PM

Cape Town tourism set to be cruising it! (http://www.whalecottage.com/blog/cape-town/cape-town-tourism-to-be-cruising-it/)

Cape Town is set to become a central point of cruising in South Africa, according to MSC Cruises, which wants to make the city the home port at which its cruises start and finish, fantastic news for local tourism players. Cruise tourism could make an important contribution to the growth of tourism to South Africa, according to the Department of Tourism.

Cruise tourism is of such importance that Minister of Tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk is commenting on it, and said “we will work very closely with the cruise line industry to ensure that packages and excursions are developed and passengers are encouraged to visit our shores, enjoy what we have on offer and inspire other travellers to also visit South Africa.” He encouraged the cruise line industry to take responsibility in providing quality service and infrastructure, says a report in the Weekend Argus. A study had been conducted on cruise tourism.

MSC Cruises is the main cruise line company in southern Africa, and is planning to expand its service. In the past the company used Durban as its home port, but the popularity of Cape Town amongst its passengers had made the company decide to move it to Cape Town on a trial basis.

The problem with Cape Town is that it does not have satisfactory cruise tourism infrastructure in the Cape Town harbour. Minister van Schalkwyk said that his department would consult with industry bodies as to how to “address constraints, facilitate passenger transit, encourage cruise passengers to visit port cities and the surrounding areas, and ultimately increase economic opportunities for communities in and around coastal cities.”

MSC Cruises has brought back the MSC Sinfonia, and would be adding the MSC Melody for its southern African operation, said Stefano Vigoriti, MD of MSC Cruises in South Africa.

The company said that it would do its best to make Cape Town the centre of the local cruise industry.

dysan1

December 8th, 2010, 04:17 PM

Mo Rush

December 8th, 2010, 05:08 PM

^^ thats contrary to what they have said in their other recent press releases and seems a one dimensional reporting by the wonderfully unbiased crew at the Argus.

Read the report and the others that are available on the net. Cape Town will always be a good cruise stop off point, but its location does not make it suit being a key home port. Cruise options from Cape Town are limited with long times spent at see. The key growth of SA cruising is about the attractions of the indian ocean islands the ability to call at a new port every day. Hence why cruising from Durban to these ports has been so successful...they are close to us.

There are indeed a few cruises out of Cape Town this season up the West coast, however so few ports in the area, there is alot of open water cruising and little in destination hopping.

It has not "moved" anything to Cape Town, it is merely offering 11 cruises out of the city on the smaller Melody ship. Yes this is indeed a big jump from last years offering and is a good sign.

But the article is rather misleading

Another source has confirmed that they are testing CT as a home port option, as the article states, it has not moved anything, it is merely testing CT as a home port due to demand.

The article also mentions "trial basis".

If the trial goes well they will consider moving the home port and if not, then they will not consider moving it. Simple as that. If it doesn't make business sense during the trial they will do what makes the most financial sense.

GregPz

December 9th, 2010, 09:37 AM

Mo Rush

December 9th, 2010, 11:51 AM

Erm will all the cruises go to Walvis Bay? Not exactly any ports of interest on that side.
The cruises out of Durban have been very well supported hence the constant increases in capacity each season. Maybe they'll eventually base a ship in CT but that article sounds very inaccurate.

I'll try and find the Weekend Argus for the full article.

It makes no sense if both infrastructure is poor AND the only "destination" on the West Coast is not really a destination.

In the case of CT, home port would only mean ships leave from CT or will they stay in CT? If its a case of getting more time in CT, they should simply spend more time here to meet demand.

juzzy

December 10th, 2010, 04:47 PM

it would make sense for the ship to start in CT move their way up to Durban (where they pick up pax) and the onto various indian ocean destinations. It would ensure the ship is full and not losing revenue.

Mo Rush

December 10th, 2010, 05:05 PM

but if the pax want to spend more time in CT in Dbn?

SA BOY

December 11th, 2010, 07:01 AM

so if the ships where based in CT where would they crusie too? maybe past Durban to Moz like all the others?

sounds like some fanciful reporting by the cape press.

Note the worlds worst location for ship killer waves is off the wild coast between 50 and 150 km out, proven fact and just ask the Aquilli lauro captain.

Mo Rush

December 11th, 2010, 09:59 AM

I don't think it has much to do with Cape Press.

MSC have simply said they will trial it, nothing more.

ToxicBunny

December 11th, 2010, 07:43 PM

I have a feeling this might be a misinterpretation of what MSC have said...

It could make sense for them to contemplate having the Melody based in CPT for its cruising season, but the still more lucrative and larger Sinfonia being based in Durban.

dysan1

December 11th, 2010, 11:33 PM

I don't think most people here understand the nature of the cruise industry. It is about getting to destinations quickly and seeing something new nearly everyday. Most cruises are 3 to 4 days. It takes 2 days to just get from ct to dbn through rough oceans. The practicality of that is non existant for every cruise and would already cancel ct as base port. The vast majority of people cruising in sa are sa citizens currently, they are there for the experience, not the host city. I do not doubt there is a smaller niche demand for some ct based cruises up to walvis bay, but from a cruise development perspective the cape is very low on options while there many many more in the indian ocean.

I think my problem with the article is that it speaks of msc moving cruising to ct and basiing it from there rther than the reality which is few cruises to meet a potential niche demand

Durbsboi

December 13th, 2010, 10:58 AM

Miller Rock The Boat gets back today, having friends that are in marketing who get given VVIP cabins and access to the internet to send you pics of what go's on while you at home doesnt help one bit.

Mo Rush

December 13th, 2010, 11:14 AM

Miller Rock The Boat gets back today, having friends that are in marketing who get given VVIP cabins and access to the internet to send you pics of what go's on while you at home doesnt help one bit.

aka the sex boat. A few of my Indian female friends are totally oblivious to this.

They're like..."its just a boat where you can swim and listen to music"

Uh, yes and trance parties/concerts are just concerts where you listen to trance music!

dysan1

December 13th, 2010, 12:07 PM

why you think they call it "rock the boat"....

Durbsboi

December 13th, 2010, 02:18 PM

Uh, yes and trance parties/concerts are just concerts where you listen to trance music!

of course they are :D

:shifty:

romanSA

December 13th, 2010, 02:53 PM

More details on the MSC cruises out of CT. Seems most of the cruises will actually be to, and out of, Durbs (only 9, in total, actually depart from, and return to, CT)...

------------

MSC Melody, SA's grand dame of cruising, arrives Cape Town, Saturday 18 December
Issued by: Starlight Cruises

[Johannesburg, 13 December 2010] -

MSC Melody, the grand dame of South African cruising, returns to South Africa on 18 December this year, to feature a new itinerary of short Atlantic Ocean cruises out of Cape Town, to Walvis Bay and Mossel Bay and exotic new Indian Ocean cruise destinations to Madagascar, Mauritius and Reunion.

The classic 1 500 passenger cruise ship, which has proved so popular in South Africa during previous cruise seasons because of her elegance and luxuriously intimate appeal, left Genoa, Italy on 1 December for the start of her 17-night southbound cruise.

En route she will enjoy ports of call in Barcelona and Cadiz in Spain, Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canary Islands, Mindelo in the Cape Verde islands, and Walvis Bay in Namibia.

Cape Town will be her first port of call in South Africa, on Saturday 18 December.

MSC Melody departs the same day on her opening coastal cruise of the South African season to Durban in the KwaZulu-Natal port to arrive on 21 December.

Her calendar will then feature both Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean itineraries out of Durban and Cape Town, through to 7 March 2011, when she returns to the Mediterranean.

The festive season keeps the ship in the tropics. There is a nine-night Christmas cruise from Durban to the popular Indian Ocean island of Mauritius, featuring a two-day stop-over in the capital city of Port Louis. It is one of the best known of the Indian Ocean islands for South Africans. The stop-over in Port Louis allows time to indulge in the myriad water sports and beach activities as well as explore the tropical island's fascinating spice and craft markets, the French and Asian influences in the restaurants, shops and beach resorts, as well as marvel at the spectacular tropical plants and forests of its towering volcanic peaks.

The six-night New Year cruise is from Durban to the two new destinations of Port d'Ehoala and Fort Dauphin in Madagascar. Both ports provide perfect starting points for discovering the magnificence of this large tropical island, long regarded as one of the Indian Ocean's most extraordinary islands.

Port d'Ehoala is a new port in Fort Dauphin on the South East of Madagascar, which is considered one of the island's most beautiful stretches of coast and popular as a tourist destination. Dominated by the Anosy mountain chain, the area offers sumptuous landscapes, examples of the rare and endemic fauna and flora, which attract tourists from around the globe, gorgeous white sandy beaches, diving and other water sports and a warm, hospitable population with a rich and fascinating cultural heritage.

Toliara (Tuleur) is a relatively modern port town with a university, museums and markets. Browse and shop for local delicacies and hand crafts such as traditional lambas (pareos). The Municipal Museum and the Sea Museum offer remarkable exhibits, including erotic tomb sculptures and masks from the Mikea hunter gatherers and a preserved example of the world famous Coelacanth - the prehistoric fish thought to be extinct since the end of the Crustaceous Period.

MSC Melody returns to Cape Town on 5 January for the first of three scheduled cruises to Walvis Bay on the Cape West Coast, the first of two cruises to Mossel Bay on the southern Cape coast, and the first of three surprise “cruise to nowhere” voyages.

The Cape cruises in the Atlantic hold the promise of whale and dolphin sightings, plus a rich variety of migrant sea birds, and long days brought to a close with glorious sunsets into the ocean.

Guests can also expect magnificent views of the Cape Peninsula Mountains from the sea. They will also enjoy the rare treat of sailing past both Cape Point (where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet) and Cape Agulhas (Africa's most southerly tip), twice each on the cruise to Mossel Bay and back, and understand why early explorers named the region the “fairest Cape of them all”.

Mid-season sees the MSC Melody back in Durban for a six-night cruise to Ilha de Mozambique and two further cruises to Madagascar – one a six-nighter to Port d'Ehoala and the other a five-nighter to Port Tulear.

The ship's itinerary also features a bumper 11-night, three-island Indian Ocean cruise departing Durban on 6 February 2011 and featuring stops in Mauritius, Reunion and Madagascar.

Pointe des Galets, capital of the French island of Reunion, offers the wondrous sophistication of downtown Paris in a tropical climate. Although a small volcanic island, it is lush with palm trees, rain forests and an abundance of flowers and tropical fruit trees amid its rich locally adapted French culture. Visitors can hike the volcanic mountains to enjoy panoramic views of the rainforest.

MSC Melody is the smallest ship in MSC Cruises' fleet, and is designed to meet the highest standards of Italian style and sophistication, while offering a relaxed and informal cruise-ship experience. With a capacity of just over 1 500 guests, MSC Melody creates a welcoming, almost intimate feel on board, especially being the only ship designed with family in mind, with 5-bed cabins available. Graceful public areas with grand high ceilings lend the MSC Melody to a sense of openness with comfortable, stylish staterooms, spacious and well-appointed. The ship's retractable, transparent Magrodome allows you to enjoy one of the two swimming pools and whirlpools, even if the skies cloud over.

Visit: www.msccruises.com or www.starlight.co.za for more information on both MSC Sinfonia and MSC Melody for the 2010/11 SA season.

Join MSC Starlight on FB – www.facebook.com/mscstarlight.

http://www.mg.co.za/pressoffice/starlightcruises/PressRelease.php?StoryID=214893

romanSA

January 13th, 2011, 01:01 PM

Durban has been named in a list of Best Cruise Destinations for 2011 in the category "Honeymoons, Destination Weddings and Romance Travel". This bodes well for the city's plans to grow its cruise industry.

Relevant part...

---------------

For the ultimate in luxury and pampering, honeymooners can take an elegant yacht cruise, complete with concierge and butler service, fine wine and spirits at every meal and unlimited free shore excursions at smaller, unique ports like Bali, Indonesia, Darwin, Australia, Fiji, Mumbai, India, Durban, South Africa, the Seychelles, Namibia and Brazil. New luxury yacht cruises for 2011 include the Seabourn Sojourn, Oceania Marina, Seabourn Quest, and the L'Austral Zodiac.

http://www.benzinga.com/press-releases/11/01/p775916/best-cruises-and-travel-now-presents-honeymoons-destination-weddings-an#ixzz1Aub27MrO

grjplanes

January 22nd, 2011, 12:49 PM

Is there an updated list of which Cruise Ships will be visiting which South African ports during 2011?
When will the Melody be back at Mossel Bay again, does anyone know if it docks in the harbour or do pax get boated to shore?

Mo Rush

January 22nd, 2011, 04:31 PM

Heard there is a super deal going to Moz from Dbn, for like R2500 for 7 nights all meals included!

dysan1

January 22nd, 2011, 07:27 PM

like the R999 3 day ones from Cape Town? Meals are always included. That would more than likely be the Buy 2 get 2 free offer they do, therefore R10000 split by 4 people. R2500 sounds too cheap

Mo Rush

February 7th, 2011, 08:54 PM

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5294/5418558819_c730d722eb_z.jpghttp://farm6.static.flickr.com/5137/5419162466_3a070d88f1_z.jpg
License http://l.yimg.com/g/images/icon_all_rights.png All rights reserved by tsn92 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/guillaumeducros/)

Durbsboi

February 8th, 2011, 03:57 PM

http://i865.photobucket.com/albums/ab219/Durbsboi/Durban/Group1-DSC08080_DSC08103-4images.jpg

http://i865.photobucket.com/albums/ab219/Durbsboi/Durban/Group8-DSC08108_DSC08112-5images.jpg

http://i865.photobucket.com/albums/ab219/Durbsboi/Durban/DSC08166.jpg

http://i865.photobucket.com/albums/ab219/Durbsboi/Durban/DSC08108.jpg

http://i865.photobucket.com/albums/ab219/Durbsboi/Durban/DSC08097.jpg

http://i865.photobucket.com/albums/ab219/Durbsboi/Durban/whilsons.jpg

http://i865.photobucket.com/albums/ab219/Durbsboi/Durban/DSC08169.jpg

License http://l.yimg.com/g/images/icon_all_rights.png All rights reserved by Durbsboi :D

ToxicBunny

February 8th, 2011, 04:46 PM

So that was the monstrosity I saw around yesterday...

Might also explain the frigate buggering around in the bay, though I still think it was the SAS Mendi missioning up to the channel.

Mo Rush

February 8th, 2011, 10:48 PM

WOW DB!

Leftfoot

February 9th, 2011, 01:27 AM

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii305/Leftfoot1/qm2.jpg

GregPz

February 9th, 2011, 09:50 AM

Some nice pics on IOL.co.za taken by The Mercury photographers.

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/6281/iol20news20queenmary001.jpg (http://img404.imageshack.us/i/iol20news20queenmary001.jpg/)

http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/7048/iol4151789672.jpg (http://img830.imageshack.us/i/iol4151789672.jpg/)

Several more at http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/welcome-to-durban-your-highness-1.1023201?image=1

ToxicBunny

February 9th, 2011, 12:11 PM

Lovely to see them side by side :)

Also shows just how BIG the QM2 is...

Durbsboi

February 9th, 2011, 02:45 PM

The perks of working half day :D the down side is half pay :|

Mo Rush

February 9th, 2011, 02:47 PM

Why dont you work flexi time?

Andrew_za

February 9th, 2011, 04:08 PM

Thanks for the update! Great picture, love the railing

http://i865.photobucket.com/albums/ab219/Durbsboi/Durban/DSC08166.jpg

License http://l.yimg.com/g/images/icon_all_rights.png All rights reserved by Durbsboi :D

romanSA

February 10th, 2011, 02:15 PM

Have been out of SA and Net access for the last week so apologies for coming to the party so late. However, just came across this classic pic and thought it deserved posting here: Durban harbour with the Sinfonia and Queen Mary docked simultaneously. Don't think two major cruise liners have docked simultaneously in Durbs before. Looks fantastic! This is what the city's harbour could look on a regular basis like if Transnet's proposed dedicated passenger (and new national HQ) gets the go-ahead...

http://www.iol.co.za/polopoly_fs/iol-news-queen-mary0012-1.1023191!/image/IOL%20news%20Queen_Mary0012.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_600/IOL%20news%20Queen_Mary0012.jpg?image=2

http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/welcome-to-durban-your-highness-1.1023201?image=2

romanSA

February 10th, 2011, 02:21 PM

This pic gives a better idea of the scale of both ships. QM dwarfs the Sinfonia...

http://www.iol.co.za/polopoly_fs/iol-news-queen-mary001-1.1023190!/image/4234907799.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_600/4234907799.jpg?image=2

http://www.iol.co.za/polopoly_fs/iol-news-queen-mary004-1.1023195!/image/881532903.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_600/881532903.jpg?image=2

Sources for these pics and a few other great ones...

http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/welcome-to-durban-your-highness-1.1023201?image=8

romanSA

February 10th, 2011, 02:32 PM

Oops. Just saw that some of the above pics were posted on previous page. Sorry for double-posting!

DB, great pics!!!!

Project Director

February 11th, 2011, 09:30 AM

clearly existing facilities are coping with these 2 having been in simultaneously but the QM has shown a unacceptable level of turbidity from thrusters and prop ends.

Durbsboi

February 13th, 2011, 03:25 PM

Why dont you work flexi time?

working 3 days a week now, 2 days doing 3D modeling for Denel

Durbsboi

February 13th, 2011, 03:28 PM

DB, great pics!!!!

Graci, wanted to get pics from near the museum but parking was insane there! and I went at lunch time!

dysan1

February 13th, 2011, 05:53 PM

working 3 days a week now, 2 days doing 3D modeling for Denel

so why you cut back your work hours so much...get too old to work?

Durbsboi

February 14th, 2011, 04:20 PM

More like 9 projects got canned, 4 on hold.

Mo Rush

April 20th, 2011, 01:21 PM

Fred. Olsen launches 2013 brochure for ‘epic’ cruises

4/20/2011 11:30:00 AM
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has launched a ‘Grand Voyages 2013’ brochure to showcase its World Cruise and 80-day voyage. The ex-Southampton cruises include a 112-night itinerary onboard Balmoral and an 80-day cruise to the Indian Ocean onboard Black Watch, departing in January 2013. The World Cruise includes sailing down the Suez and Panama Canals, as well a cruise of the Great Barrier Reef. Port calls include Acapulco, Mexico; Sydney, Australia; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Singapore; Muscat, Oman; Aqaba, Jordan and Alexandria, Egypt. Meanwhile, Black Watch’s Indian Ocean cruises will visit the rounds of Cape of Good Hope including Mauritius and the Maldives en route to India. Key ports of call include Banjul, The Gamibia; Walvis Bay, Namibia; Cape Town; Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Alexandria, Piraeus for Athens and Valletta. There are also overnight stays in Cape Town and Dubai.

Mo Rush

May 5th, 2011, 10:04 AM

http://www.capetimes.co.za/logger/p.gif?a=1.1064144&d=/2.987 Welcome boost for city as tourists enjoy extended season

May 4 2011 at 11:02am

http://www.capetimes.co.za/polopoly_fs/ct-msc-sinfonia-8830-15541764-1.1064143%21/image/1994461678.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_300/1994461678.jpg INLSA
ALL ABOARD: The MSC Sinfonia cruise liner arrived in Cape Town yesterday from Durban. The ship is at maximum capacity, bringing even more visitors to the Mother City during the extended holiday season. Picture: JASON BOUD

Michael Kaplan
Cape Town has seen an influx of tourists recently as domestic travellers and foreigners alike have taken advantage of the series of public holidays that extended the province’s tourism season.
That’s according to tourism officials and tour operators, who say the added numbers have been a welcome boost to the end-of-peak season.
“We had a phenomenal couple of weeks,” said Annemie Liebenberg, the V&A Waterfront’s tourism manager.
“We saw a lot of national visitors and a lot of people who extended their stay.”
Liebenberg said there was a 28 percent increase in guests at the Waterfront compared to the same period last year.
The cruise liner MSC Sinfonia also arrived in Cape Town yesterday at maximum capacity, for the last time this season. There were about 2 200 guests aboard, said MSC spokesman Krystle van Vooren. “We had a two-for-one special that went very quickly because of the extended break.
“Everything from April 26 was completely booked.”
Last year, cruise liner passengers spent on average R1 060 a day in South Africa’s ports, according to South Africa Cruise Tourism.
MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism Alan Winde said to bring in more foreign cruise ships, the city would have to build a permanent cruise liner terminal. He said there were discussions about whether to set up a temporary structure for cruise liners.
Demand at this stage was not enough to see any permanent structures built yet, however, he said.
Cape Town Tourism chief executive Mariette Du Toit-Helmbold said the Two Oceans Marathon over the Easter weekend meant many visitors extended their stay for the remainder of the week.
“This year saw the biggest number of entries in the history of the marathon, with a record of close to 23 000 runners participating,” Du Toit-Helmbold said.
“Many of the marathon runners extended their stay in Cape Town by a number of days, making full use of the unusual culmination of public holidays.”
They planned to invest heavily in domestic tourism to ensure more South Africans made Cape Town their number one holiday destination.
Meanwhile, guest houses and hotels reported that the number of foreign tourists was on a par with figures for last year.
They said there had been an increase in domestic guests, however.
“We had more South African guests over the last few weeks because of the holiday,” said Maggie Fluthmann, manager of the Sweet Ocean View Guest House in Sea Point.
“About a fifth of the clientele was South African and we hardly ever have South Africans,” Fluthmann said.
michael.kaplan@inl.co.za

romanSA

May 5th, 2011, 12:08 PM

Spotlight on cruise tourism

May 4 2011 at 10:10am
Suren Naidoo

The burgeoning potential of cruise tourism in the southern Indian Ocean and African region will be in the spotlight at the first-ever Seatrade Africa Cruise Forum taking place at Fairmont Zimbali Resort on the North Coast next week.

Cruise tourism is touted as the fastest growing sector within the global tourism industry. Tourism KwaZulu-Natal has teamed up with UK-based Seatrade and Cruise Indian Ocean Association (CIOA) to establish an African cruise tourism convention.

The event was strategically timed to take place after the tourism Indaba to be held in Durban this weekend.

The overall aim of the Seatrade Africa Cruise Forum is to help put the largely untapped southern Indian Ocean region on the map as a commercially viable global cruising region.

The event will bring together executives from the major cruise lines with regional stakeholders to discuss how best to take advantage of the opportunities on offer.

http://www.themercury.co.za/polopoly_fs/nm-cruise-sinfonia1-1.1064121!/image/1273975714.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_300/1273975714.jpg
The luxury cruise liner MSC Sinfonia enters Durban Harbour. During this cruise season which ended last week the Sinfonia and MSC Melody carried more than 120 000 passengers.

INLSA

The Durban KwaZulu-Natal Convention Bureau’s James Seymour said it would be a landmark for the cruise tourism industry, particularly in South Africa.

Seymour was instrumental in setting up a Seatrade Africa event while at Tourism KZN. When CIOA was relaunched at Indaba in 2009 he became the association’s secretary-general.

“The world’s cruise lines operators are on an ongoing quest for new passenger experiences and Africa is in prime position to promote itself as a cruise destination with untapped potential. The greater southern Indian Ocean region can been seen as the new frontier and destination for the global cruise tourism industry,” he said.

“Seatrade has a firm reputation as the leading cruise tourism marketing agency. The organisation has hosted some of the world’s top cruise tourism trade shows including Seatrade Europe, Seatrade Asia and Seatrade Cruise Shipping Miami… The inaugural Seatrade Africa Cruise Forum has been carefully planned to allow delegates to combine their attendance with Indaba – Africa’s largest tourism trade show.

“The event will be a critical opportunity for Africa and KwaZulu-Natal. Port cities such as Mombasa, Maputo, Richards Bay, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and Walvis Bay – will get the platform to highlight opportunities to cruise liners, and develop new regional cruise tourism destinations and itineraries,” he added.

Seymour said that cruise tourism was now regarded as one of the most important tourism niche markets. He said it was the only tourism market that experienced growth despite the recent global economic downturn.

Durban was performing particularly well this season as the home port of the MSC Sinfonia and MSC Melody which carried more than 120 000 passengers during the season, which ended last week.

“The potential that exists around the African continent for cruise lines seeking virgin territories and new experiences for their guests is vast. A large part of this potential lies on the Indian Ocean coasts, where the majority of ports are in close proximity to Big Five game reserves. This is a definite shore-excursion winner for cruise passengers,” said Seymour.

Seatrade Africa will bring together decision-makers from all the major cruise lines with a stake in the region.

Some of the cruise industry leaders expected to attend include Claudius Docekal of Azamara Club Cruises; Simon Douwes of Holland America Line; Allan Foggitt of Starlight Cruises; Matthew Grimes of Fred Olsen; Bruce Krumrine of Princess Cruises; Darius Mehta of Silversea; Craig Milan of Royal Caribbean Cruises; David Vass of The World; and, Stefano Vigoriti of MSC Cruises.

Seatrade Africa takes place from May 10-12. For information log on to www.africacruiseforum.com or www.seatrade-global.com.

http://www.themercury.co.za/spotlight-on-cruise-tourism-1.1064122

dysan1

May 6th, 2011, 01:18 PM

Good change and bodes well for growing the SA market...

MSC Cruises announced acquisition of Starlight Cruises in South Africa

Friday, May 06, 2011

MSC Cruises has announced the acquisition of Starlight Cruises, their sales agents in South Africa of almost 20 years. The new company will trade as MSC Starlight Cruises with effect from May 2011. The agreement gives MSC Cruises overall control of Starlight Cruises. It also allows for the continued management by former owners, the Foggitt family, who have operated as sales agents for cruise liners in Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands for over 30 years.

MSC Cruises CEO Mr Pierfrancesco Vago welcomed the formalization of the company’s first office in sub-Saharan Africa. “This is an important acquisition that affirms the close relationship we’ve shared with Starlight Cruises. It also endorses our commitment to the future success of South Africa and continued growth of cruise tourism in the region,” said Mr Vago.

Mrs Daphne Osborne (nee Foggitt) who becomes Managing Director of MSC Starlight Cruises said the two companies had enjoyed an excellent business and personal ‘engagement’ for almost two decades. “It has been a marriage on the cards for years now, and in the wake of two successive record breaking seasons, and sure signs of a continuation of this trend, it would seem the time is right.” Mr Allan Foggitt remains Marketing Director of MSC Starlight Cruises. Mr Stefano Vigoriti, who has headed up MSC Cruises in South Africa until now, becomes Operations Manager for the new company.

The relationship between Starlight Cruises and the larger Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) Group, the second largest container shipping company in the world, began soon after the company’s first venture into cruise shipping in the late 1980’s and subsequent deployment of the Achille Lauro and MSC Monterey to South Africa.

When MSC Cruises was established as a subsidiary of the MSC Group in 2003 after several years of unprecedented growth and a 5.5 billion euro investment programme, the popular cruise liners MSC Rhapsody and MSC Melody were added to the local line-up.

The deployment of the luxurious
2 100 passenger liner MSC Sinfonia to Southern Africa in 2009 proved a turning point for local cruising and established a new trend where cruising has become an increasingly popular vacation of choice for local holidaymakers. Referred to as the “finest floating hotel” ever to operate out of South Africa, MSC Sinfonia returned for a second bumper season in November 2010 when she operated in conjunction with MSC Melody.

Both MSC Sinfonia and MSC Melody return to South Africa later this year for the 2011/2012 summer cruise season which will again feature a full schedule of exciting cruise destinations in the Indian and Atlantic Oceans out of Durban and Cape Town.

http://www.traveldailynews.com/pages/show_page/43104-MSC-Cruises-announced-acquisition-of-Starlight-Cruises-in-South-Africa

dysan1

May 12th, 2011, 01:13 PM

Also take a look at the Durban cruise terminal thread

Long way to go for cruises in Africa
May 12 2011 at 09:44am

Slindile Khanyile

Africa had potential to become one of the biggest cruise tourism markets because ocean cruise lines were looking for new markets outside Europe and the US and the continent was largely untapped, speakers at the Seatrade African Cruise Forum said yesterday.

But cruise lines were not aggressively expanding into the region because of numerous challenges regarded as threats to the viability of their businesses. Top of the challenges list are a lack of infrastructure, poor safety and security, high port costs, unclear berthing policies, geopolitical instability, few shore excursions, low service standards and large distances between destinations.

Neil Palomba, the corporate operating officer of MSC Cruises, said the company had been calling on Transnet to build a dedicated cruise terminal in Durban. A lack of proper facilities had the potential to ruin the experience for passengers, which in turn reflected negatively on the cruise line.

“Our passengers want to enjoy their destination, they want to get onto a ship right away and that is not always the case at some ports. These are people who have already been on a plane for long hours and when they arrive at a port, they want to go on board,” Palomba said.

“Passengers are asking to come here but the more people we bring, the more infrastructure we need.”

Transnet is conducting a pre-feasibility study to assess the viability of a dedicated cruise terminal. Ricky Bhikraj, the manager at the port of Durban, said this would be completed by the end of September. Feasibility studies and tender awards would be done by the end of May 2013, and if there was merit in the plan, construction would be completed by June 2015 and it would be commissioned by July 2015.

“We still need to make decisions on whether it will be built and funded by ourselves or if we give concession to a third party. There is perhaps an opportunity for public-private partnerships but we would need to look at the pros and cons of that,” Bhikraj said.

He said responses received thus far showed the industry would prefer a terminal that could cater for two large vessels and 5 000 passengers and equitable access to the terminal.

The port of Durban had a cruise terminal but it was decommissioned in the 1970s. The area that is currently used to accommodate cruise lines is congested and can only berth one ship at a time because it is in a cargo terminal.

The number of cruise passengers at the port of Durban increased from 42 576 in 2004/05 to 157 424 in 2010/11. Cruise lines expect to transport 15 million passengers around the world this year.

Piracy is another concern that has prevented cruise lines from exploring African waters as some have withdrawn from destinations such as Tanzania, Kenya and Seychelles. The cruise lines said insurance costs were astronomical when they wanted to tour the Indian Ocean, which made coming to Africa expensive.

Gichiri Ndua, the chairman of Cruise Indian Ocean Association, conceded that piracy was impeding the growth of cruise tourism. Ndua said this issue needed a consolidated effort and resources and had to be fought under one banner.

Ndua said growing the cruise line industry in Africa could create various employment opportunities.

Port costs, especially in South Africa, which was regarded as one of the most expensive in the world, were also seen as a major challenge.

Chris Owen-Collett, the vice-president of worldwide cruise operations at Abercrombie & Kent, said South Africa should not rush to build a passenger terminal but use that money to subsidise port costs.

RYebreAD

May 12th, 2011, 02:05 PM

Durban, Cape Town plan for cruise ship
12 May 2011

A decision on a new cruise ship terminal for Durban harbour is expected to be made by September this year and, if approved, the new terminal could be built and commissioned by 2015 according to Transnet’s Durban port manager Ricky Bhikraj.

He said a feasibility study is underway for the new terminal which would be built at A and B berths in the harbour. It would occupy about 32 000 sqm and with a 9 000 sqm terminal and about 700 metre of space on the quay.

He says Transnet is looking at various funding options that might include a private-public partnership. It is part of Durban’s regeneration efforts.

According to the cruise industry in South Africa there is room for regularly cruises for two large passenger liners and about 5 000 passengers.

At the same time, Cape Town is investigating the options of opening a passenger terminal in the City’s harbour and according to a report by the City of Cape Town, the lack of adequate terminal facilities is restricting industry growth.

The report estimates that one cruiser liner carrying 2 000 passengers and with a crew of 600 would result in expenditure within the city of R2 286 400 a day. The report says that a seven-day cruise from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth, Durban and Richards Bay would result in expenditure of R9,14-million.

It says that 25 of these cruises a year would generate additional revenue of R228,5-million.

The Cape Chamber of Commerce is lobbying for a terminal that is big enough to accommodate two cruise liners at the Duncan Dock as part of the development of Cape Town’s International Convention Centre.

Chamber president Michael Bagraim says that the Chamber will hold talks with the National Port Authority and that he was “confident of their support”. He says that three berths for cruise ships would result in thousands of tourists coming to Cape Town and spending their money within the city.

At this stage the plan is to build two berths at Duncan Dock and a smaller third berth at the V&A Waterfront.

dysan1

May 12th, 2011, 02:12 PM

^^ I wish Cape Town luck in getting this. When the issue of the Durban Passenger Terminal first came up end of last year, Transnet said that Cape Town was not on their sights as they had a total lack of in port berthing for the main part of their business - cargo. I think CT will need some form of terminal but i think seeing anything before the Durban terminal in 2015 would be highly optimistic.

Mo Rush

May 13th, 2011, 12:15 AM

I agree to a large extent but with that sort of outlook the V&A Waterfront would not exist and Durban would have a Waterfront to be proud of.

Mo Rush

June 9th, 2011, 10:27 AM

Are we losing out on sea cruise millions?

May 12 2011 at 03:31pm
By HELEN BAMFORD
http://www.iol.co.za/polopoly_fs/cw-harbour-6454-2-goes-with-argus-cruise-story-1.1068157%21/image/638931875.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_300/638931875.jpg INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS

QUEEN OF THE SEA: The Queen Mary 2 in port on a recent visit to Cape Town. PICTURE: BRUCE SUTHERLAND, CITY OF CAPE TOWN

South Africa is missing out on substantial revenue by not exploiting the lucrative and fast-growing sea cruise market.
A 2010 report by the City of Cape Town has highlighted the fact that the lack of adequate terminal facilities is restricting industry growth in the region.
It said South Africa captures only 0.5 percent of the world’s cruising business.
Figures quoted in an earlier city report from 2008 estimated that one cruise liner carrying 2 000 passengers, with a crew of 600, would result in expenditure of R2 286 400 a day.

Based on these figures a seven-day cruise from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth, Durban, Richards Bay and returning to Cape Town would result in expenditure of R9.14 million. “Just 25 of such cruises would result in revenue of R228.5m,” it said.

The Cape Chamber of Commerce is now lobbying for a terminal big enough to accommodate two international cruise liners to be built in the Duncan Dock as part of the development of the Cape Town’s International Convention Centre and entertainment precinct.
Chamber president Michael Bagraim said they were planning talks with the National Port Authority and were confident of their support.
“Three berths for cruise ships would mean thousands of affluent tourists in Cape Town every week and the positive economic impact would be felt throughout the city.”

He said the idea tied in well with the existing expansion plans for the convention centre precinct, leading hotels, theatres and the Waterfront. “If there is to be a casino, it will make this whole area an unbeatable tourist magnet.”

The possibility of a casino near the Waterfront was recently mooted as part of the Western Cape’s regeneration plan announced by MEC for Public Works and Transport Robin Carlisle.

The suggestion of a cruise ship terminal with two berths in the Duncan Dock and a third one for smaller ships in the V&A Waterfront was made in the report commissioned by the city council and completed last year. Bagraim said the report suggested that revenue from the casino licence could meet some of the development costs.

Well-heeled tourists who arrived in Cape Town were currently greeted by a potholed, cracked road which they had to negotiate to get to a bus or taxi.

“It’s awful. They have to walk along this road while being blown around by the southeaster. A lot of the older tourists choose to stay on board,” Bagraim said.
He said it would make sense to put up proper facilities. Ocean travel was big business, second only to air travel, yet South Africa was missing out.
The city’s report said: “There exists a dilemma for the City of Cape Town, whereby it is felt that the current number of cruise arrivals is insufficient to warrant a large capital outlay, while the major cruise operators insist that they will not increase their supply of vessels to the area until the appropriate infrastructure exists.”
Bagraim said the private sector was ready to invest in the precinct development which already had the strong support of the city, the province, the Cape Town Partnership and the Chamber of Commerce.

“If we add the cruise liner terminal the whole project becomes irresistible.

“It would be the biggest thing for Cape Town since the V&A Waterfront,” he said.

It was also a better potential earner than the existing industrial plans for ship repairs and services to oil and gas rigs.
“Industries like this can be much better served from Saldanha, which is more conveniently located and has deep water and ample room for expansion. It also fits in with plans for an industrial development zone for the port,” Bagraim said.

The report said the alternative sites for a cruise liner terminal were the Eastern Mole in Cape Town harbour, Granger Bay, Simon’s Town and Saldanha.

Cape Town’s mayoral committee member for economic development and tourism, Felicity Purchase, said improvements were long overdue.
Cape Town needed to be a home-port which meant that cruise ships would be based in the harbour over the summer months, with people flying in to go cruising, as happened in places like Mauritius. The advantages were that people stayed longer and spent more money, she said.

Port engineer Magenthran Ruthenavelu of the Transnet National Ports Authority said cruise ships currently calling at the port were accommodated in the Duncan Dock facility.
“At this stage a small number of vessels are calling (below 10 per annum) and current facilities are used to accommodate these vessels,” he said.

Some provision had been made in the port’s long-term development framework plan to house such facilities at Duncan Dock depending on the demand at the time, Ruthenavelu said. - Weekend Argus

dysan1

June 9th, 2011, 11:11 AM

I agree to a large extent but with that sort of outlook the V&A Waterfront would not exist and Durban would have a Waterfront to be proud of.

The difference is that back in the early 90's Transnet owned the land so could make the V&A. They did not own the land in Durban.

Now that the V&A has been sold off, Transnet take a different view of the Cape Town port, they need it to work as a port and space is the issue! In Durban they have the space and they have the high volumes of cruise passengers needed for a terminal development.

Situations change

Mo Rush

June 9th, 2011, 11:32 AM

The difference is that back in the early 90's Transnet owned the land so could make the V&A. They did not own the land in Durban.

Now that the V&A has been sold off, Transnet take a different view of the Cape Town port, they need it to work as a port and space is the issue! In Durban they have the space and they have the high volumes of cruise passengers needed for a terminal development.

Situations change

and what has all this space meant for Durban with Transnet owning it? As for "space" in CT as per the article below, things need to move up the West Coast where these sort of operations make more sense. Ideally the Review Committee process will help align these SOE's to a public mandate with a developmental outlook rather than a profit motive.

There is also the issue of the Culemborg land. I won't be surprised if Transnet get on the act again with regards to a casino bid. The land is always "less strategic" when there is money to be made for them.

I'm not clued up on cruise terminal developments but will try and meet with the Chamber soon and prob Province (leading casino licence & port regeneration) to see what exactly the way forward is...

Read somewhere that a shake up of SOE's is coming.

Marsupalami

January 13th, 2012, 02:34 PM

Government bans cruise ships from Waterfront
Fri, 13 Jan 2012 8:42 - iAfrica

The City of Cape Town is concerned about the impact of a Home Affairs ban on passenger ships docking at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town.

At least 13 cruise ships including the Silver Wind, National Geographic Explorer and Queen Mary are scheduled to visit Cape Town between January and May 2012, but a recent ruling by the Department of Home Affairs means that cruise liners will have to dock in Duncan Dock with immediate effect.

"We are obviously uneasy about the possible impact of this ruling on Cape Town's status and reputation as a cruise tourism destination as well as on tourism revenues to the city," mayoral committee member for tourism events and marketing Grant Pascoe said.

Pascoe said the city had noted concerns about security risks underlying the decision.

"We will discuss the ruling with the relevant authorities to find a way to best serve Cape Town's tourism interests, without compromising the status of the port as a secured area," he said.

In 2011, some 19 visiting cruise ships accounted for approximately 18,000 visitors to the V&A Waterfront.

Industry expert and shipping commentator Brian Ingpen said in the Cape Times newspaper on Friday that "security hawks" have torpedoed one of the world's greatest cruise liner berths.

"Tariq Mellet, director of immigration in the Western Cape, apparently informed Sars (SA Revenue Service) Customs and Border Management in December that the Ministers of Home Affairs and Public Enterprises had decided that, because of security consideration and Home Affairs regulations, passenger vessels may not berth at the Waterfront, but must be accommodated in the Duncan Dock," Ingpen wrote.

He said Home Affairs apparently did not regard the number two jetty as a legitimate entry point, "yet passengers have been embarking and disembarking there for over 100 years, and numerous other vessels, including international yachts, berth there."

He said at the time of writing his comment, "few shipping folks knew of this step, and were obviously not consulted beforehand."

"It appears that the port authorities were instructed to comply with the decision, and one wonders whether they had been consulted.

"As he seems to be the originator of the news, Mr Mellet should let us know whether there is an imminent threat to cruise liners at the Waterfront, and he should divulge whom the illustrious ministers consulted before they made this curious and far-reaching decision," Ingpen said.

"An ideal berth for cruise liners up to 200m, Number Two Jetty is close to the Waterfront shops and restaurants where passengers collectively spend millions.

"Perhaps the ministers could also tell us whether the Duncan Dock, Durban, or any harbour is safer than the Waterfront, given that yachts, fishing vessels and numerous ships pass close to cruise liners wherever they berth."

dysan1

January 13th, 2012, 03:01 PM

This ruling, while obviously not great for the Waterfront, makes complete sense. You need a controlled entry/exit point. The "facility" used at the Waterfront was/is very sub par. This will hopefully give a bit of a push for proper cruise facilities in CT harbour like they are doing in Durban.

briker

January 15th, 2012, 04:07 PM

Yes sure.

SA BOY

January 15th, 2012, 06:58 PM

cruse ship terminal is still 20 years away in CT. Logic, is its too great a capital cost and takes revenue generating berths out of action. secondly all cruise operators approached and no one wants to be "tenant" and base ships out of there for the summer as there is no where to cruise to.
there is however a great solution with the existing customs house designed (but never used) as a cruise gateway with a swinging bridge that links to ships and allows controlled access through a security area (hence the name customs house) and into the city.

Long and short is invest in a cruise terminal and have it empty or wait for someone to commit and then build it. Chicken and egg Im afraid

dysan1

January 15th, 2012, 07:13 PM

Unfortunately you are right. The fanciful ideas of Cape Town as a cruise hub do not ever really seem like a reality. The cruise options as you point out are non-existant bar the hobs to mossel bay or up the namibian coast, but that involves alot of time at sea. It will always remain a good stop on long around the world cruises.

But while it may not have the numbers for a fully fledged cruise terminal, multi use terminals are options. This is more than likely the type of cruise terminal Durban is going to end up with. With our cruise season stretching from October to April, its only 6 months and you cannot have the terminal lying empty the rest of the year, this is something they will need to factor in with their plans. The other thing is WHY cant they start to encourage almost year round cruising out of Durban to the Indian ocean? These winter months are actually better to visit most of the attactions in the region from Mozam, Madagascar and Mauritius.

The SA cruise council or whatever it is called is doing alot of long term planning, lets hope we start to hear more coming up

Citywalker_CT

January 24th, 2012, 10:54 PM

Fight goes on for Waterfront docking
2012-01-24 21:56

Related Links
V&A cruise ship ban concerns Cape Town
Fight goes on for Waterfront docking

Cape Town - The Western Cape government will continue to fight for passenger ships to be allowed to dock at Cape Town's Waterfront, Tourism MEC Alan Winde said on Tuesday.

Winde said the cruise liner industry was an important niche product offering for tourism in the city.

"On an annual basis, it currently generates an estimated R206m for the province’s economy, a figure that is expected to grow significantly over the coming years as the City of Cape Town and national government roll out cruise line tourism strategies."

He said in order to ensure it was able to increase this industry’s contribution to economic growth, it was essential that visiting cruise liners be given "a world-class reception" by allowing ships below 200m in length to berth at the Waterfront.

Winde said he had called for an urgent meeting with Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, to discuss lifting the ban on cruise liners docking at the V&A Waterfront.

The ban, which had been in place for two weeks, had already affected docking arrangements of two cruise liners and would affect another eight in the coming months.

"I will continue to fight for this cause," Winde said.

One of the world’s most luxurious ocean liners, the Queen Mary 2, docked at the Eastern Mole in the Port of Cape Town earlier on Tuesday.

The QM2, which is more than 345m long, has a guest capacity of 3 056 and carries 1 253 crew. Due to its length, the ship is not able to dock at the Waterfront.

- SAPA

ToxicBunny

January 30th, 2012, 08:15 PM

Gonna throw these in here..QM2 in Durban Harbour

Courtesy of Durbsboi :)

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romanSA

February 13th, 2012, 05:21 PM

New cruise ship for SA
Article By: Travel Industry Review
Mon, 13 Feb 2012 2:05

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After a successful summer cruising season, MSC Starlight Cruises says it will boost capacity on local sailings to record levels with the introduction of its 1700-passenger MSC Opera during the 2012/13 summer season.

The Opera will operate the seasonal programme together with the Sinfonia, which has been positioned locally for the past three seasons. Together, they will allow for an additional 135 000 passenger bookings over the course of the upcoming season, surpassing the previous record by nearly 25 000.

After leaving South Africa, the MSC Melody will continue to operate a series of Mediterranean cruises during the European summer season, but it is still to be determined where the ship will be based during the winter months.

Identifying cruising as the fastest growing sector of the travel industry worldwide and in South Africa, Head of Marketing, Allan Foggitt, said: "The decision to send both MSC Opera and MSC Sinfonia to South Africa for the upcoming 2012/2013 season shows the level of commitment MSC Cruises has to the South African market. We will continue to invest in the destinations and the development of port infrastructure to continuously improve the product and the guests’ overall experience."

The Opera is slated to arrive in Cape Town on November 19 and will operate out of Durban from November 22 until early March 2013, taking over the Mozambique three- and four-night cruises from Sinfonia.

The Sinfonia will arrive in Cape Town on November 28 and operate cruises to Mossel Bay, Hermanus, Walvis Bay, Luderitz and a new, 11-night roundtrip cruise to Walvis Bay and St Helena.

It will also operate longer cruises from Durban to Madagascar, Mauritius and Reunion, plus a number of coastal cruises between Durban and Cape Town, calling at Port Elizabeth and East London.

http://travel.iafrica.com/cruises/778131.html