Cunard’s luxury cruise vessel Queen Elizabeth makes Colombo maiden call

On 30 March, Cunard Line’s latest luxury cruise vessel MV Queen Elizabeth made her inaugural call to Colombo, marking the third inaugural vessel call to Colombo made by the cruise liners operated by the parent company Carnival UK within the first quarter of 2012.

The vessel left Southampton on 10 January this year and is scheduled to return to Southampton on 27 April. Incidentally, Queen Elizabeth followed the inaugural calls by the Cruise Liners MV Arcadia and MV Aurora. The agency services for these cruise liners were provided by Shipping Agency Services (Pvt) Ltd., a highly reputed Sri Lankan shipping company.

Cunard Line is a combinedly-owned British-American company based at Carnival House in Southampton, England and operated by Carnival UK. It has been a leading operator of passenger ships on the North Atlantic for over a century.

Currently undertaking her 107-day world cruise, MV Queen Elizabeth docked at the Passenger Jetty of Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) at 7.00 hrs for a brief stay and departed at 17.30 hrs for Cochin in India.

A plaque exchange ceremony was held on board MV Queen Elizabeth in celebration of the inaugural call at the Passenger Jetty of SLPA on 30 March 2012. To mark the significance of this move to the SLPA, plaques were exchanged between SLPA Chairman Dr. Priyath B. Wickrama and the Master of the cruise vessel MV Queen Elizabeth Capt. Julian Burgess in the presence of senior officials of SLPA and the officials of Shipping Agency Services (Pvt) Ltd., including Managing Director Gihan Nanayakkara, Executive Director Capt. L. N Jayasooriya and General Manager Dilkushi Rajapaksa.

Commenting on the significance of the occasion, the SLPA Chairman said: “This is the third inaugural vessel call made by the cruise liner Carnival UK in the first quarter of 2012. It is encouraging to note that according to provisional statistics released by the Department of Census and Statistics, Sri Lanka, the GDP has registered an upward trend of 8.3 per cent for the year 2011 with the per capita income growing by 15.5 per cent. The booming economy of the country resulting from the dawn of peace has created a conducive environment for a boost in the once-lucrative tourism industry in Sri Lanka. This trend heralds a new era for the tourism industry in Sri Lanka which is on the threshold of an economic renaissance with huge maritime-related infrastructure development projects in the port sector. In this context, whilst working in tandem with the tourism sector, Sri Lankan ports have vitally important roles to play.”

Expressing his views on the occasion, SLPA Managing Director Capt. Nihal Keppetipola: “I chanced upon some interesting highlights posted by Cruise Market Watch in November last year. According to them, the worldwide cruise market is estimated at $ 34 billion and the number of prospective Cruise passengers worldwide in 2012 is estimated at 20 million, a 5.6% increase over 2011. Direct spending by passengers and crew at all cruise ports in the world is estimated at $ 15 billion. Therefore, it is important that our ports and coastal destinations are carefully managed and smartly promoted for the sustainable growth of this important market.

“It is quite an encouraging piece of news that the representative of Carnival UK, who visited Sri Lanka last December, has predicted the possibility of their luxury vessels calling the Port of Hambantota in the future. I most heartily thank Carnival UK for choosing Colombo as one of their cruise destinations, knowing very well that Colombo will be ready soon with iconic landmarks, world-class dining and unique hospitality to delight the discerning traveller.”