Queen Victoria is now the longest cruise ship to berth at the Mahé Quay.

Until yesterday, it was MS Aurora which was holding that record. The latter, measuring 273 metres long, berthed at Port Victoria last month.

But this record has now been broken with the arrival yesterday of the 298m long Queen Victoria.

Launched in 2007, Queen Victoria is known for her sophistication and her graceful splendour. Her unique facilities are among the most up to date you will find and yet she has a special ambience so evocative of great liners past. With deluxe marbles, woods and rich fabrics she exudes elegance and is adored by her crew and passengers alike.

The cruise ship boasts 1,003 cabins – 143 inside, 146 ocean view and 581 balcony cabins. It can accommodate up to 2,014 passengers, with a maximum crew complement of 900.

Queen Victoria is the second of Cunard ships, together with MS Queen Elizabeth and RMS Queen Mary 2. The ship cost US 630 million to build and was last refurbished in January 2015.

To mark that moment in the history of the Seychelles Ports Authority (SPA), Tourism and Culture Minister Alain St Ange and SPA chief executive Colonel Andre Ciseau paid a courtesy visit to the ship’s captain Christopher Rynd.

Accompanying the minister was also the Seychelles Tourism Board’s (STB) chief executive Sherin Naiken, as well as other STB and SPA staff members.

According to Minister St Ange such cruise ship can boost the Seychelles economy, as the passengers buy our services such as excursions and products such as art and crafts.

“When you have around 2,000 passengers on a cruise ship that size, doing a world tour cruise and arriving in Seychelles, it makes Seychelles more visible to the outside visitors. Cruise ship passengers are able to come back and enjoy Seychelles for a holiday, and even recommend friends and family to come and visit,” he pointed out.

He added that many of those 2,000 passengers have bought excursions to visit the island.

“Around 45% of those passengers have bought excursions for them to visit the island, while others preferred just to take a stroll around Victoria, buying art and crafts made from Seychelles. The SPA and STB have been working really hard to bring cruise ships back to our islands. This year we’ve had more cruise ships than ever before,” he said.

Colonel Ciseau pointed out that this upshot is a result of the joint work between STB, various stakeholders and partners.

“It is the biggest cruise ship in the history of Seychelles to ever berth at the Mahé Quay. We will continue to work very hard to bring such cruise ships to Victoria in the years to come, because it is very important to the Seychelles economy,” he said.

Forrás: www.nation.sc