The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) has confirmed the arrival of two passenger vessels at the Port of Cape Town. The vessels, The Crown Princess and the Island princess arrived on 16 May 2020 on a scheduled stop.
The Crown Princess arrived in South Africa with 2139 crew members, of which 30 are South African. The Crown Princess is used by the owners to repatriate crews stranded aboard their vessels and is due to proceed to other international ports in order to disembark other crew members.
The vessel disembarked SA crew and SA medical team while in Cape Town, who have been onboard the vessel for some time and required to be relieved by a fresh crew. All South African Crew has disembarked and special permission was granted for a fresh medical team to embark to allow for the vessel to meet safe manning requirements before it can proceed to another port.
The disembarked crew was subjected to the local Covid-19 regulations and will quarantine for 14 days before they can proceed to join their families. The vessel also took bunkers and supplies, before it sailed again on 16 May 2020.
The Island Princess also arrived in Cape Town on the 16 May with 1416 crew, of which 62 are South African. The vessel will disembark the South African crew before leaving Cape Town.
South Africa is expecting the following cruise liners to call on South African ports in the next few weeks:
– Rotterdam estimated to arrive on the 18 May 2020 at the Port of Cape Town the vessel has 800 crew on board, 12 of which are South African.
– MS Le Bougainville estimated to arrive on 19 May 2020 at the Port of Richard’s Bay to replenish stores and take bunkers.
– Zuiderdam estimated to arrive on 20 May 2020 at the Port of Cape Town we have no information yet on the crew numbers.
– Veendam estimated to arrive on 23 May 2020, Port of Cape Town the vessel has 626 crew 49 of which are South African
– Carnival Dream estimated to arrive on 25 May 2020 at the Port of Port Elizabeth we have no information yet on the crew numbers.
– Carnival Liberty estimated to arrive on 25 May 2020 at the Port of Port Elizabeth the vessel has 1601 crew 4 of which are South African
– Carnival Ecstacy estimated to arrive on 25 May 2020 at the Port of Port Elizabeth we have no information on the crew numbers yet.
– Carnival Conquest estimated to arrive on 25 May 2020 at the Port of Port Elizabeth we have no information yet on the crew numbers.
– Carnival Fascination estimated to arrive on 27 May 2020 at the Port of Durban we have no information yet on the crew numbers.
SAMSA continues to work with the department of Transport, other government departments and government agencies to ensure that all regulations relating Covid-19 are enforced and followed by the maritime industry. These regulations, among others prohibit cruise liner calls into any of the South African Ports, any crew changes, any disembarkations apart from returning South African citizens or permanent residents.
Image credit: Instagram/blackout01
