Construction of the US $3.5m cruise ship terminal in Kenya is complete. The Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Daniel Manduku revealed that the facility is set for commissioning next week. “The ultra-modern cruise terminal is ready to be officially handed over to the Port of Mombasa management on December, 16 and ready to receive cruise ships before Christmas,” said Mr Manduku. The cruise ship terminal was constructed with funding from Kenya Ports Authority and Trade Mark East Africa. It is expected to greatly enhance tourism as more cruise ships dock at the port.
Also read: Kenya Ports Authority to construct new oil terminal.
Features of the port:
The modern facility which began construction in 2016 will feature the arrival terminal and departure areas for passengers, a lounge for passengers, an immigration office, reception counters for cruise operators, restaurants and souvenir shops. Cruise tourists will enjoy facilities just like those offered at the international airports. The first cruise ship transporting high-end tourists is expected to dock at the world-class terminal in the next two weeks on 22nd and the tourists it will be carrying will visit various tourist attraction venues at the coast before proceeding to different countries in the Indian Circuit.
The MV Albatros which docked at the Port of Mombasa early last month was the first cruise ship in the country this year, bringing with it 446 passengers and 346 crew members. According to Mr Daniel Manduku, the facility will give holidaymakers an opportunity to travel to multiple destinations at one go, adding that its location makes it easy for sailors to take advantage of the inter-modal transport. “The facility, has been completed at the right time when cruise ship tourism season is at its peak. We expect the first cruise ship to dock at this facility on 22nd before visiting a number of tourist attraction areas in Coast, and connecting to different countries in the Indian Circuit,” said Mr Manduku.
