Durban — The N Shed, located at Durban’s old harbour, was abuzz on Monday when one of the longest passenger ships in the world, Queen Mary II, docked in the city.
The 950 crew and more than 2 000 passengers were given a warm Durban welcome by Zulu dancers and singers as they disembarked.
According to the website Ship Technology, Queen Mary II is the seventh-largest cruise ship in the world. The ship is managed by the luxury Cunard Cruise Line. The vessel was delivered in 2004.
Built at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique yard for Cunard in 2003, the Queen Mary II was, at the time, the largest ocean liner constructed. The liner embarked on its maiden voyage from Southampton to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in January 2004.
eThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda and industry role-players were present to welcome the crew and passengers. During the engagement, Kaunda highlighted Durban as a premier destination for passengers.
He also presented a gift to the ship’s captain, Andrew Hall. Hall thanked Kaunda, expressing how grateful they were to receive such a heart-warming welcome.
Hall said: “It is always a pleasure visiting Durban and I look forward to exploring the city before proceeding to our next stop.”
Kaunda said the docking of Queen Mary II could not have come at a better time.
“The Easter holidays are almost here, and we are busy with our winter season destination promotion campaign. City tours for passengers have been organised to showcase the many tourism offerings of the city. We want the ship’s passengers to return to our beautiful city,” he said.
Kaunda said the city was developing tourism packages to ensure that it remained a preferred tourism destination.
“The arrival of Queen Mary II comes as we are busy with the expansion of the Port of Durban. This development is expected to be a major drawcard for cruise liners and will include five-star hotels, a retail mall, apartments, and an African cultural centre,” he said.
Kaunda said the arrival of the ship demonstrated that the tourism industry in Durban was bouncing back after a series of challenges.
The liner also drew a lot of attention from Durbanites who flocked to the harbour to admire the vessel.
The passengers explored the city on the rickshaw bus and visited the Valley of a Thousand Hills, and took a cultural tour to the Victoria Indian Market. Some went on a historical tour, visiting attractions like the Durban City Hall, the Playhouse Theatre and the KwaMuhle Museum.
Tourism KwaZulu-Natal took some of the passengers to St Lucia which was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco and Hluhluwe.
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Daily News