Port Louis New Cruise Terminal Will Be Opened In November 2023

“With the aim of promoting cruise tourism, the Mauritius Port Authority built a dedicated pier for cruise ships in 2009,” he told Cruise Industry News.

“With a view to improving the level of service offered to cruise passengers and further promoting Mauritius as a home port destination, the MPA has proceeded with the construction of the cruise terminal, which is now ready to operating in November 2023,” added Mr. Goburdhone.

Set to become one of the largest facilities in the region, the new cruise terminal will be able to accommodate 4,000 passengers per day.

For Arvind Bundhun, director of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, the country's new cruise terminal stands out in the Indian Ocean for its large reception capacity.

“The cruise segment experienced significant growth before the pandemic and is steadily recovering. Our goal is to make Mauritius the hub of home ports in the Indian Ocean,” he said.

“Mauritius is a multi-faceted destination, with a range of offerings, and we welcome cruise passengers to enjoy these immersive experiences,” added Mr. Bundhun.

With investment in the cruise industry, Mauritius plans to surpass its record of 40 stopovers which was reached in 2018.

The port authority also aims to attract more cruise ships for home port operations. Before the pandemic, AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises and Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines had ships based in the port of Port Louis.

With AIDA returning for a homeport season in 2023-24, the country is also set to receive global cruise calls from several cruise lines, including MSC Cruises, Cunard, Hapag Lloyd, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Ponant, Phoenix Reisen, Holland American Line, Silversea Cruises and Seabourn.

Between transit and home port, Mauritius plans a total of 24 stopovers in 2023, with a minimum of 24,000 passengers.