Cruise Ship with 240 tourists docks at the Port of Mombasa

A cruise ship with over 240 tourists from all over the world docked at the port of Mombasa on Tuesday.

The tourists aboard a cruise ship vessel Silver Cloud with 222 crew members were received by KPA and KTB officials among other government officials before being picked up by buses and leaving for various tourist destination centers at the coast.

According to the Kenya Tourism Board deputy communication director, Mr Kimutai Ng’eno, this is the first of several such vessels expected to dock at the port of Mombasa during this December festive season.

“This is a sign of confidence on destination and a major boost for security”, he said.

This comes even as the Kenya Ferry Services re-introduced a fourth vessel at the Likoni channel crossing.

MV Harambee, which had been decommissioned a year ago due to its poor state, has since been repaired at a cost of Ksh143.5 million and brings to four the number of ferries that operate at the Likoni channel with a capacity of 40 cars and about 1,400 commuters.

Speaking during the launch, Kenya Ferry Services Managing Director Bakari Gowa exuded confidence that the re- introduction of the renovated MV Harambee will cure the chaotic scenes usually experienced at the Likoni crossing during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

With the tourism industry anticipating a huge number of visitors to the coastal city of Mombasa this December, the re-introduction of MV Harambee across the Likoni channel will also bring much relief to the thousands of commuters who depend on the ferry services daily.

“We expect that after the refurbishment of the vessel, it will be able to run through for the next ten years without having to undergo a major repair,” said Gowa.

This comes just months after the government announced plans to construct a world-class cruise ship terminal at the port of Mombasa.

Speaking at the port of Mombasa after a closed-door meeting with Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and Trade Mark East Africa management officials in May, Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala said that the process that is estimated to cost Ksh200m is expected to be completed by 2017.

Balala noted that the new terminal would meet international standards will help the government attract more cruise ships at the port of Mombasa as well as double the number of tourists coming into the country.

The port of Mombasa lacks a cruise terminal for welcoming visitors or a resting area for those connecting to other destinations.

The tourists who are from Seychelles are also expected to visit Zanzibar and other port cities as the crew ship vessel continues moving to various parts of the world.

Additional reporting by Patrick Kanga