Multiple foreign cruise ships carrying thousands of passengers from around the world are stopping by the Benoa Harbor in Bali ahead of Nyepi, the Hindu Day of Silence. The General Manager of port operator PT Pelindo III of Benoa, I Wayan Eka Saputra, believes that the visits indicate that Indonesia has regained the trust of the international community on Bali tourism after Mount Agung’s Eruption.
MV Seabourn Encore stopped by the Benoa Harbor on Tuesday, followed by MS Europa 2, with the Malta flag, which is scheduled to arrive on Wednesday (March 14). The 210-meter-long MV Seabourn Encore, registered in the Bahamas, has a capacity of 600 passengers, while the 225-meter-long MS Europa 2 has a capacity of 500 passengers.
The last cruise ship to stop by at the Benoa Harbor before its closing for Nyepi is the Costa Luminosa from Italy.
The ship, which is 294 meters long and with a total capacity of 2.8 thousand passengers, will stop by on Thursday (March 15).
The passengers of these cruise ships are scheduled to have a short vacation in Bali, under the guidance of local travel agents.
“Their journey has been scheduled for a long time, and the agents know the conditions at the port ahead of Nyepi Day, because this annual agenda and its scheduled arrangement were done a year back,” Saputra revealed.
In March 2018, a total of 13 cruise ships are expected to dock at the Benoa Harbor, with an estimated 10 thousand passengers.
Most of the ships that enter the port are luxury ships with the flags of Bahamas, Malta, and the United Kingdom.
Last year, a few ships scheduled to stop by the Benoa Port were canceled due to the volcanic activity of Mount Agung. Only 70 ships out of the expected 74 arrived.
However, this year, Pelindo III Benoa targets to serve around 80 cruise ships planning to stop by in Bali.
Source: Republika
Photo courtesy of republika.co.id