KBSP to welcome 54 cruise ships, 100,000 passengers

Manama : Khalifa Bin Salman Port (KBSP), operated by APM Terminals Bahrain has embarked on the 2017-2018 Cruise Season with the arrival of luxury cruise ship AIDA-stella at the port in November 2017. 

Bahrain, known for its rich and vibrant cultural heritage and a popular destination for cruise ships, is expected to receive 54 cruise vessel calls from prestigious lines during this season with an estimated 100,000 passengers. This is an impressive 30% growth over the past year in terms of vessel calls and 23% in terms of the number of passengers.

The current season, which commenced in November 2017 and will be on until May 2018, will see arrival of three maiden calls including Mein Schiff 5, Minerva and Crystal Serenity, and approximately 2 cruise calls every week. MSC Splendida with 4360 passenger capacity will be the biggest to call this season. This season we will also have unique weeks where 2 cruise ships docking at the same time. 

Mark Hardiman, CEO/Managing Director of APM Terminals Bahrain commented, “We are working closely with the Ports and Maritime Authority, Tourism Authority, Customs and Immigration departments to ensure smooth handling of passengers.”

Commenting on the start of the cruise season this year, Assistant Undersecretary for Ports and Maritime Navigation Affairs, Bader Houd Al Mahmoud, said he expects the season to be better than the previous seasons “with increased number of cruise vessels calling at KBSP”.

Passengers, on arrival, are welcomed by a traditional Bahraini hospitality organized by the Tourism Authority. All the cruise liners organize scheduled city-tour of Bahrain include traditional hospitality and cultural experience for passengers including Bahraini band and music as well as visit to historic sites, the bustling alleyways of local songs and other key landmarks.