Cruise Cape Town expected to welcome 32 cruise ships this season

Ships confirmed to visit South African shores in 2021/22 include: Europa 2, Norwegian Jade, Azamara Pursuit, MSC Orchestra, Amera, Le Lyrial, Silver Whisper, Silver Explorer, Seven Seas Mariner, Albatros, Crystal Endeavour, Insignia and Queen Mary 2.

The first cruise ship to resume cruises from South Africa is the MSC Orchestra, which will homeport at the new Durban cruise terminal, in KwaZulu-Natal (to be inaugurated in December) and also embark passengers in Cape Town.

Cape Town Big 6

For first time visitors, the Cape Town Big 6 consisting of Cape Point, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, Groot Constantia, Robben Island, Table Mountain and the V&A Waterfront are the biggest draw cards while the Madiba Itineraries, retracing Nelson Mandela’s life and times, continue to attract returning visitors.

Official spokesperson for Cruise Cape Town and Wesgro CEO, Wrenelle Stander, commented: ‘We are excited to welcome cruise ships back into Cape Town to ignite exploration of the city and the greater Western Cape region. We were expecting 85 cruise calls for the 2019/2020 season, and we are encouraged by this initial demand - we're looking forward to getting back to pre-pandemic numbers soon.’

Cruise Cape Town

Cruise Cape Town is a collaborative project that endeavours to grow the cruise economy in Cape Town and the Western Cape. The project is a collaboration between partners in both the public and private sector including Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDAT); the City of Cape Town (CoCT); V&A Waterfront; Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA); the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA); and Wesgro – the Official Tourism, Trade and Investment Promotion Agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape.