Number of cruise calls creep up in Mauritius

Of those, three ships will homeport this year and five next year.

It is in contrast to 2022 when Mauritius recorded less than 10 calls.

2023 and 2024 forecasts

Mauritius predicts that it will receive 27,000 cruise passengers in 2023, 6,000 of those through homeporting operations, and 35,000 passengers in 2024 – 10,000 of those resulting from homeporting.

The island is well-equipped for its upcoming cruise season which gets underway November 17; its 8,400 m2 Port Louis Cruise Terminal – serving predominantly cruise and ferry passengers – opened earlier this year. The destination can now manage four cruise calls simultaneously: one at the cruise jetty, one at the Bulk Sugar Terminal found adjacent to the cruise jetty, and two at the port’s commercial quays dependent on their availability.

2018 and 2019: record-breaking years

Mauritius’ best year for cruise calls was 2018 when it racked up a total of 42, including 23 homeports. In the years that followed, it received 38 (2019,) 20 (2020,) 1 (2021) and eight (2022) cruise calls.

The largest passenger volume came in 2019 when Mauritius documented 59,556 individuals, 39,318 through homeporting operations. It was a marked increase on the previous year when the destination handled 47,577 passengers – 31,002 of those from homeporting.

Port Louis Cruise Terminal

The new Port Louis Cruise Terminal was handed to the Mauritius Ports Authority in April and is designed to accommodate up to 4,000 homeport passengers each way per day and an unlimited number of in-transit passengers. The terminal can accept passengers from the primary cruise ship berth directly adjacent, as well as via shuttle transportation from the nearby Bulk Sugar Terminal operating as a berthing annex.

Port Louis Cruise Terminal will be used for the forthcoming cruise season starting November 17.

Facilities

The terminal’s ground floor spans 7,335 m2 and its first floor, 1,065 m2, with the building equipped with WIFI.

The facility includes dedicated areas for the screening of passengers and baggage, passenger waiting and commercial activity, immigration and customs processing, baggage sorting, processing and claim, and destination support activities.

The passenger waiting hall is 2,000 m2 with 430 moveable seats and 30 check-in stations. Passenger security consists of five stations in a 160 m2 area. The immigration hall measures 1,250 m2 with 22 stations while the baggage claim hall is 900 m2.

The design allows for direct sea-air transit of baggage for passengers arriving or departing from the airport.

The entry lobby, passenger waiting hall, passenger support facilities and baggage claim hall have been designed to easily convert from secured to unsecured spaces to allow for meetings, conferences, exhibitions and more on non-cruise and non-ferry days.

Destination highlights

Asked for a flavour of the excursions available on the island, director of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, Arvind Bundhun, said, ‘Through trips crafted with sustainable travel practices in mind – and the direct involvement of local communities, combined with life-enriching curated experiences – Mauritius offers immersing experience to travelers in a responsible way.’

Passengers can visit the Bel Ombre Biosphere in the South or Le Morne UNESCO World Heritage site in the country’s Southwest. Added Bundhun, ‘For a more authentic experience of Mauritian cuisine, travelers can try street-food. It is found everywhere from street corners to markets.

‘The Tea Route, in the southern part of the island, will immerse you in the history of this delicious beverage through several sites. You will visit the tea plantations, the factory and museums. Tastings are also on the menu, and you can bring home various flavours of teas and unexpected by-products such as tea chutney.’

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