Cape Town is set to welcome 72 ship calls for the 2025/6 cruise season so far, with more expected as the season unfolds, according to Wesgro.
Image of Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot used for illustrative purposes/Pjotr Mahhonin/Wikimedia Commons
The upcoming season promises a mix of inaugural and speciality cruises. Among the highlights is Ponant’s Le Commandant, a small ice-breaking vessel famed for polar expeditions, as reported by Tourism Update.
The 20-day journey departs Cape Town en route to Brest, France. Ponant’s Le Bougainville, a luxurious five-star ship, will also make a stop in the Mother City.
Explorer enthusiasts will be delighted by the visit of the National Geographic Orion, operated by Lindblad Expeditions. The ship will sail a new itinerary, Southern Africa: Living History and Legendary Species, taking guests through South Africa and Zambia with a team of experts on board.
“This new offering will allow our guests to immerse themselves in the majesty of Southern Africa while continuing National Geographic’s extraordinary legacy of global exploration,” said Nancy Schumacher, Senior Vice President and General Manager for National Geographic Expeditions.
Highlights of the nine-day journey include Table Mountain, District Six, the Boulders Beach penguin colony, and a safari experience at Sabi Sabi Game Reserve in the Greater Kruger Park.
The iconic Queen Mary 2 returns to Cape Town in April, while sister ship Queen Anne will conclude its Southampton–Cape Town route in January.
Wesgro hopes the new season will surpass last year’s success. The 2024/5 season saw 79 ship calls generate just under R2 billion (US$116 million) in visitor spend, according to the Western Cape Cruise Liner Industry Report by Cruise Cape Town.
Cape Town has also benefited from cruise reroutes due to Red Sea security concerns since 2023, although this has occasionally led to ships arriving with fewer passengers than usual.
Smaller ports are sharing in the cruise boom. Mossel Bay, Hermanus, and Saldanha Bay collectively welcomed 26 ship visits last season, generating R47.5 million (US$2.8 million) in local spend, highlighting the wider economic impact of the industry.
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