South Africa’s 2024/25 cruise season officially kicked off with the arrival of the World Odyssey at the Port of Cape Town on October 22, and will continue until June 2025.
According to Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), there will be 268 scheduled cruise liner calls this season, an increase of 29% from the previous season's 207 calls.
Ross Volk, MD of MSC Cruises South Africa, told Travel News that the country was very well prepared for the new season.
“South Africa is very well geared towards this cruise season, and I think we have the right organisational skills in place to make it one of the best seasons yet. From an MSC perspective, we are in full swing in our preparation for our season.”
Earlier this year, Volk told Travel News that the number of immigration officials at South African cruise ports had been an issue. However, he now complimented the new Government of National Unity and Border Management Authority’s efforts to find a solution.
“They've really come to the party to try and facilitate a solution which we're busy discussing at the moment. We're not yet finalised but we are in the advanced stages. They have certainly come prepared to try and find a solution to our problems and to support us, which I'm very proud of,” said Volk.
Executive Chairperson of the Maritime Business Chamber, Unathi Sonti, told Travel News that Richards Bay was the only cruise port where the number of immigration officials was still a problem.
MSC Musica (3 223-passenger capacity) will replace Splendida (4 363-passenger capacity) for this cruise season. The vessel will be positioned in the region between November and March 2025.
Speaking of the switch, Volk said the effort had been to improve the quality of the product.
“Musica is better suited to the entertainment that's generally on board with our theme cruises. It's got a bigger dance floor on the deck and has a slightly better configuration of lounges than Splendida. This will provide a better platform for our guests to experience cruising and yield better onboard experiences.”
Volk added that the trend of booking later rather than early continued in the market.
“We still see the trend continuing – it's got to do with the financial position of South Africans.” Volk said South Africans wanted to ensure that they were financially secure before they went ahead and committed money to a holiday.
