International tourists coming to Kenya via the sea have increased since the start of the cruise ship tourism season in October last year. Since the start of the season, the Port of Mombasa has received five cruise ships.
International guests are from the United Kingdom, United States and Canada. Approximately 3, 681 international tourists have visited Kenya through the port in three months since the first cruise ship on October 23. Yesterday, the MS Silver Sprit docked at the port of Mombasa with 890 tourists. They were 496 passengers and 394 crew members from Zanzibar heading to the Seychelles.
The vessel spent a night at the Kenya Coast as the tourists visited the Maasai Mara, Shima Hills, Fort Jesus and Amboseli. This is the second time the MS Silver Spirit is coming to Kenya in two months. It was in Mombasa on December 21 with 472 tourists and 365 crew members.
Speaking during the reception of the tourists at the port’s Berth One, Kenya Ports Authority head of corporate communications Bernard Osero said the return of cruise ships is encouraging. “Six years ago, we had no cruise vessels docking into this port. It is encouraging to see us play a key role in attracting passengers by sea,” he said. The Sh450 million modern cruise ship terminal, under construction at Berth One, is 50 per cent complete. It will be ready by July.
The world-class cruise terminal will allow simultaneous berthing of two Oasis-class cruise ships, the world’s largest passenger ships. The new terminal will have state-of-the-art security features, an immigration centre and a hotel.
