The MV Celebrity Solstice – a massive 317-meter-long cruise ship carrying 3,944 international passengers and crew berthed at Bali’s southernmost Port of Benoa for a one-night stay on 31 October 2023.
Quoted by the State News Agency Antara, Jodi Mahardi, Deputy for Maritime Affairs and Investment, said: “The arrival of this cruise ship represents an important step in making the Port of Benoa an international cruise hub.”
The MV Celebrity Solstice sailed to Bali from Sydney, Australia, to overnight in Bali, carrying 2,776 passengers and 1,168 crew. Captain Theodoros Zakkas mastered the Ship. While the Ship disembarked passengers, a mass Cendrawasih Dance was performed on the pier.
The passengers entered Indonesia and Bali’s port through the new modern passenger terminal, where a computerized immigration process sped the administrative process for the large group of international visitors.
Tjokorda Bagus Pemayun, the head of Tourism Services for the Province of Bali, says busses and luxury sedans met the passengers to deliver them to areas across the Island that included Ubud, Kintamani, the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Monument, and Taman Ayun. “We hope (the visit) will have a positive impact given that these are wealthy tourists with high levels of expenditures for shopping,” said Pemayun.
The Tourism boss estimates ship passengers will spend an average of US$1,200 during the Ship’s visit to Bali.
Separately, Prasetyo, the Strategic Director for State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) at PT Pelabuhan Indonesia, explained that a special 46-meter-long gangway has been prepared to facilitate the embarkation and disembarkation process. Adding: “This is a historical moment for PT Pelabuhan Indonesia in serving a ship longer than 300 meters long at the Port of Benoa.”
Our pier is sufficiently long at 500 meters and capable of welcoming jumbo cruise ships.”
The MV Celebrity Solstice, at 121,878 gross tons, is the largest cruise ship to visit the Port of Benoa.
Upon departing Benoa on Tuesday, 31 October 2023, the MV Celebrity Solstice set sail for Singapore.
In 2023, 50 cruise ships will visit Benoa carrying 75,000 passengers and crew. Fifty-two ships have already booked port calls to Bali for 2024, bringing an estimated 89,400 passengers and crew.
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