The last cruise ship to visit Seychelles was in March 2020 before a temporary closure was announced by the government to stem the spread of COVID-19.
New procedures to accommodate return of cruise vessels to Seychelles amid the COVID-19 have been put in place.
The Principal Secretary for Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine Mr Alan Renaud, during a press conference, said local authorities “are comfortable in the sense that we are ready and prepared and that we have all the contingencies in place to welcome cruise ships.”
Upon arrival in Seychelles’ waters, the ships have to produce proof of their procedures of how they handle COVID cases, their risk assessment and the number of passengers.
Cruise ships are also expected to have facilities to regularly test their clients for COVID-19.
The Seychellois authorities have also made available a portal on which vessels will fill in their details before entering Port Victoria.
A total of 19 cruise ships are expected to visit Port Victoria during this season, bringing in an estimated 5,700 passengers.
Mr Ronny Brutus, Chief Executive of the Seychelles Ports Authority (SPA), said “this time around the ships are smaller, as they are high-end cruise lines. They will only be able to accommodate a maximum of 300 passengers at a time. The biggest vessel we have on the list is ‘MS Europa 2’ measuring 225 metres.”
Source: http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/15806/Seychelles+re-opens+to+cruise+ships+next+week+after+-month+break
