Aitken Spence Travels welcomes simultaneous arrivals of three cruise ships — ‘Vasco Da Gama’, ‘Mein Schiff 5’, and ‘MS Seven Seas Navigator’ today at the port of Colombo.
‘Vasco Da Gama’ and ‘Mein Schiff 5’ will dock at the Colombo port by 7.00 am and ‘MS Seven Seas Navigato’r will dock at 1.30 pm with approximately 4,000 passengers from all three vessels.
The cruise season began last month with the arrival of ‘Resilient Lady’ from Virgin Voyages, a part of Sir Richard Branson’s renowned group.
The visit of ‘Marella Discovery 2’ that arrived in early had special significance, marking its first return to Sri Lanka post-Covid and the first turnaround operation in the country. Operated by TUI, this cruise brought three flights to Colombo for disembarking cruise passengers.
As the month progresses, the company looks forward to the arrival of MS Nautica on December 17. This vessel is set to navigate the waters of Sri Lanka for three days, making stops at the ports of Colombo and Hambantota.
Managing Director of Aitken Spence Travels, Nalin Jayasundera said, “We are hoping to serve over 10,000 cruise passengers throughout these two months. We are delighted that all these cruise operators are selecting Sri Lanka as part of their cruise itineraries.”
“We have been aggressively promoting the destination and continuously working with the operators to build confidence on the destination for them to pick Sri Lanka. This is not an easy task as we need to be competitive, offering our prices almost twelve months ahead.
“When this happens, we cannot revise our rates for any reason despite our operating environmental changes such as taxes, and increased entrance fees. Our focus is to popularise the destination to attract more cruises,” he said.
Jt. Deputy Chairperson and Jt. Managing Director of Aitken Spence and Head of Tourism and Leisure for the Group, Stasshani Jayawardena said, “We are hopeful that the Government would develop infrastructure of the Colombo port to be a cruise hub enabling us to compete with international ports in the region and attract a greater number of cruises contributing to the growth of Sri Lanka’s tourism sector.”
Notably, the ‘Vasco Da Gama’ cruise marks its maiden call to Sri Lankan shores allowing its passengers an opportunity to immerse themselves in the vibrant city of Colombo before continuing their voyage to the Trincomalee Port. This cruise will have turnaround operations in Male, Maldives.
