Cruise tourism is becoming a big draw for travellers to Cape Town, with more than 70 ship calls carrying upwards of 180,000 passengers and crew calling into the Cape Town cruise terminal over the 2022-23 summer sailing season.
And this year looks set to be even busier, with a bumper schedule of cruise ships calling into the modern Cape Town Cruise Terminal in the V&A Waterfront. Insider tip? That’s just a short walk from the Time Out Market Cape Town, where you can discover a curated taste of the city’s top chefs.
But it’s not just about overseas cruise passengers stopping in before sailing away again.
Cape Town has long been known as the ‘Tavern of the Seas’ for its warm welcome to seafarers, and this year locals and tourists can tap into a range of cruise itineraries that depart out of – and return to – Cape Town’s historic harbour.
For the second year running Norwegian Cruise Lines will homeport a ship in the Mother City, with the Norwegian Dawn offering a selection of 12-day round-trip cruises that start and end in Cape Town. This year voyages take in the highlights of the southern African coastline, sailing eastwards as far as Richard’s Bay, before returning around Africa’s southern tip to explore the desert landscapes of Namibia.
Longer itineraries to Mauritius and Madagascar are also on offer, and the local cruise season is book-ended by repositioning cruises from the United Arab Emirates, and a return journey to the Mediterranean.
Norwegian Dawn sails with 2340 passengers on board, and though it’s one of the older ships in the NCL fleet, an extensive refurbishment in 2016 has brought it in line with NCL’s Freestyle cruise concept which does away with outdated dinner seatings and formal attire in favour of a more relaxed approach onboard.
But travellers are spoilt for choice this summer, with several other cruise lines choosing Cape Town as their southern homeport. Azamara Cruises, MSC Cruises and Silversea will all offer similar southern Africa itineraries, allowing passengers to choose their ship according to their budget.
If you ever dreamt of running away to sea, now’s your chance.
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