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At first glance, the numbers for Cape Town's 2025/26 cruise season look like a step back. After a record-shattering 2024/25 where 83 cruise ships pulled into port, 11 of them for the very first time across the city's longest-ever cruise season, this year was always going to be a tough act to follow.
The 2024/25 season generated a record R1.79 billion in economic impact, bringing an estimated 127,000 passengers and a 32% rise in total expenditure. Projections for this year show around 60 calls compared to last year's peak, and passenger numbers of between 90,000 and 95,000, with 30,000 to 35,000 crew.
Conflict rerouted through Cape Town
So, while it all points to a waning season, escalating conflict involving Iran, the United States, and Israel continues to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Multiple cruise lines cancelled Middle East deployments for the 2025/26 winter season, with at least six vessels from various operators reportedly stranded in the Arabian Gulf following a halt to regional operations.
Wesgro CEO Wrenelle Stander says the dip in ship call numbers needs context. "While these figures are lower than last year's record-breaking numbers, this reflects broader itinerary shifts across the global cruise industry, influenced in part by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East," she says.
Leading cruise operators have started to reroute ships around the southern tip of Africa, despite it being a costly alternative that adds weeks to repositioned itineraries.
Most recently, Oceania Cruises revised the itinerary of its current 180-night world cruise aboard Oceania Vista, rerouting it away from the Middle East and the Red Sea - instead sailing through the Indian Ocean, circumnavigating Africa, and continuing north to the Canary Islands. Ports originally scheduled in India, the UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt were replaced with calls in the Seychelles, Madagascar, the Comoros, Mozambique, South Africa, and Namibia.
Whether this becomes a significant geopolitical tailwind that's played out in Cape Town before, as seen in the 2024 Red Sea conflict, remains to be seen. However, the city continues to position itself as a safe, commercially productive alternative to the Red Sea corridor.
Turnaround quality over quantity?
"We are seeing a higher proportion of turnaround calls, which generate significantly greater economic impact," added Stander.
An estimate 68% of Cape Town calls this season have been turnaround calls. This means ships beginning or ending their voyage here, compared to 45% last season and 44% in 2023/24.
When a ship turns around in Cape Town, passengers stay longer, spend more, and explore further. They're not stepping off for four hours before sailing to the next port; they're booking hotels, hiring cars, doing wine tours, and heading up the Garden Route.
International coastal cruises have also increased by 18% compared to last season, further boosting the turnaround dynamic and associated economic benefits across the province.
Headline calls
Despite the global turbulence, the 2025/26 season has attracted some remarkable vessels. Headline calls include Cunard's Queen Mary 2 and Seven Seas Mariner, and fan-favourite themed voyages such as MSC Opera's Love Jazz Cruise, along with classic round trips to Walvis Bay and the Skeleton Coast.
The season highlights Cape Town's growing role as a strategic embarkation port for global cruise routes, with itineraries spanning Africa, Asia, Europe, Australasia and the Middle East before the conflict. TUI Cruises confirmed that Mein Schiff 4 would sail from Cape Town on a 20-night repositioning voyage to Palma de Mallorca via the Seychelles, Mauritius, La Réunion, and the Cape Verde Islands. At the same time, Mein Schiff 5 includes a three-day Cape Town stay on a 36-night World Discovery itinerary from Dubai to Crete. Both TUI-owned ships are now docked in the Arabian Gulf, as part of paused operations due to the conflict.
The 2026/2027 local cruise season is already confirmed to begin on 27 November 2026, with the arrival of MSC Armonia, a smaller Lirica-class ship that will sail from both Durban and Cape Town.
Cruising's long game?
Stander says Wesgro remains bullish on the long game. "Based on the successes of the past seasons, we remain optimistic about Cape Town's cruise outlook beyond the 2025/26 season."
"Approximately 50 ship calls are already scheduled per season for the next two seasons, a clear indication that cruise lines are committing to Cape Town as a long-term destination. Globally, cruise lines are actively seeking more diverse itineraries, and Cape Town and the Western Cape are extraordinarily well-placed to meet that demand," says Stander.
"Positioned at the confluence of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, the province serves as the natural gateway to Southern Africa, a region offering cruise travellers experiences found nowhere else in the world. Cruise Cape Town is working to strengthen the entire Southern African cruise corridor, ensuring the momentum built over recent seasons continues to grow."
Smaller municipalities such as Mossel Bay, Hermanus, and Saldanha Bay previously welcomed 32,000 passengers across 26 ship visits in 2024/25, generating R47.5 million in local spending, supporting small businesses, and boosting these towns' visibility as tourism destinations.
Stander maintains that expanding that regional reach remains a central priority for Cruise Cape Town, as does ensuring broader support infrastructure.
Beyond the cruise terminal: luxury superyachts
Cape Town's maritime ambitions extend well beyond the cruise terminal. A R230 million superyacht marina development at the V&A Waterfront - the Quay 7 Superyacht Marina - is scheduled for completion in October 2026, positioning the city as a serious contender in the global superyacht economy.
V&A Waterfront CEO Graham Wood notes that superyacht visits have grown steadily since 2009, with 35 vessels arriving in the 2024/25 season alone — many staying for extended periods of six months to a year, because Cape Town offers a unique mix of world-class tourism, reliable marine services, and access to adventure cruising routes that don't exist in traditional yachting hubs.
Cape Town is also being reframed as a gateway for Antarctic expeditions and long-haul exploration routes, offering a counter-seasonal alternative to the increasingly congested routes of the Mediterranean.
By the numbers: Cape Town cruise sector at a glance
- 83 ship calls | 2024/25 (record season)
- R1.79bn economic impact | 2024/25
- 127,000 passengers welcomed | 2024/25
- 60+ ship calls anticipated | 2025/26
- 68% turnaround calls | 2025/26 (vs 45% last season)
- 18% increase in international coastal cruises | 2025/26
- 50 ship calls per season already scheduled | 2026/27 & 2027/28
- R230m superyacht marina | Opening October 2026
The broader picture, then, is of a destination that continues to build real demand - and is now facing an unexpected geopolitical shift that could see more of the world's largest cruise ships looking for a port that can handle them. Cape Town needs to be ready.