The first cruise ship of the season has arrived in Turkey which is an amazing development after all travel was brought to a standstill due to pandemic restrictions. The ship, named Viking Sea, arrived and docked at Bodrum Cruise Port to collect its crew of 120 foreigners arriving from all over the globe.
Viking Sea was built back in 2016 and can hold 930 passengers. The ship will depart from the Greek Cypriot Port of Limassol and will follow all necessary procedures. The 227 metre vessel has been anchored in Italy’s Triests Port since the pandemic halted all its travel and operations.
The ports general manager Haluk Hizlan stated that the were very happy to welcome the first curise ship in the Mugla province. The curise industry has been hit very hard by the coronavirus pandemic. With things on the up Hizlan has stated that they are expecting around 30 cruise trips in Bodrum this year and that there have been no cancellations so far.
The head of the agency that represents the vessel, Suleyman Uysal, was delighted that they have been able to bring in the first cruise ship and that it was a major development.
Uysal has stated that COVID 19 testing will take place on the vessel to ensure everyones safety and that they hope to welcome it in the region again as soon as possible.
In other news, a major renovation is due to come into effect next month at Istanbul’s Galatport which is located on the shore in the Karakoy district. After its renovation the port will have the potential to welcome around 25 million visitors, 1.5 million passengers and 7 million tourists.
The renovated project will host a selection of arts centres, hotels, botiques, cafes, restaurants and a world class cruise terminal which will feature check-in areas, a passport terminal, waiting rooms and a port space large enough to hold some of the world’s largest vessels.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stated that around 200 cruise ships with a capacity of 350,000 passengers have already made reservations to dock at Galatport this year.
Source: Daily Sabah
