Cruise Tourism in Mauritius

The Cruise tourism industry in Mauritius

According to the Mauritius Ports Authority website, Port Louis Harbour greeted 25 cruise vessels, carrying some 21,500 passengers in 2009.  The growth of the cruise tourism industry has been remarkable and the construction of the Christian Decotter Jetty will greatly enhance the image of  Mauritius and position the island as a cruise tourism destination.

 The new cruise jetty which has been constructed by Afcons Infrastructure Ltd for the Mauritius Ports Authority at the cost of Rs 485 million at les Salines will improve sensibly the service level to cruise passengers.

With the twin objectives of promoting this hub-port status and further enhancing the service level to cruise passengers, the Mauritius Ports Authority initiated action for the construction of a dedicated cruise facility at Les Salines since November 2008.

According to the MPA, Construction work on site started around March 2009 and was completed in December 2009. 

Facilities at the Jetty

According to the Mauritius Ports Authority website the Christian Decotter jetty is 124m long and 14 metres wide and the dredged depth at the jetty is 10.6 metres. Furthermore the Fender spacing is 12 metres. The jetty can accommodate cruise vessels up to 300 metres long. Two access bridges are provided for passengers and vehicles. In terms of security, closed circuit camera system has been installed as well as a 3 metre high perimeter fencing. In addition there is access control at the gate post. There are parking slots for coaches, taxis and private vehicles.

In addition according to the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA) website, 'basic marquee facilities are available, land-side, for handling of the cruise passengers and relevant stakeholders such as police, customs, the shipping agent and tour operators are located nearby in three dedicated office containers to assist the tourists as and when required'.

The MTPA also informs that Mauritius is now on the map of Costa Croisières – the European cruise specialist  the MV Costa Romantica – is based in Port Louis every year from December through to March, offering cruises in the South-West Indian Ocean, from Mauritius to Réunion, Madagascar, Seychelles, East Africa and back again.

About the Costa Romantica

According to the Costa Cruise website the promise is that it is the ideal holiday, not only for those looking for excitement. The Costa Romantica is a 678 cabin ship including 34 suites and 10 private balcony. Food and beverage facilities include 3 restaurants and 7 bars. For relaxation there are also 4 jaccuzzis and 2 pools. Given the growth of the wellness sector, the cruise also includes gym, treatment rooms, sauna and Turkish bath. Regarding sports there is an outdoor jogging track. As entertainment, there is a theatre(l’Opera Theatre) on two levels, Casino and Disco and for the younger ones there is the Squok Club with Playstation Entertainment. The setting of the ship makes it even more luxurious with valuable works of art and sculpture of a Japanese artist.