Carnival Legend First To Arrive Into Fiji This Year
Carnival Legend arrives into Suva’s Kings Wharf today as the first cruiser vessel to arrive this year.
The $300million vessel’s first trip to Fiji was last October.
There has been a steady increase in the number of cruiser vessels calling in at Fiji ports since 2015.
According to the Fiji Ports Corporation Limited 2017 Annual report there were 64 cruiser vessels calling in 2015, 81 called in in 2016 and 92 called in in 2017.
Carnival Legend’s arrival is expected to one of the more than 100 tourist vessels calling in this year.
Local agent, Kenua Fiji manager Leone Naivalu said the tourist vessel’s visitation was start of the many more to visit Fiji ports this year.
“Their schedule is drawn up two to three years in advance and they visit us regularly,” Mr Naivalu said.
Carnival Legend port of departure was Sydney, through the Pacific including Vanuatu and finally today in Suva before heading back to Sydney.
“The vessel carries 2598 passengers and 898 crew members,” he said.
The vessel is at the Kings Wharf in Suva for the whole day to give tourists the opportunity to shop and go sightseeing within the vicinity of the capital city.
“We are expectinging more than 100 cruise ships vessel under our agency to call into respective Fiji ports this year.
“This is very encouraging as it will boost a lot of economic activities.
It was disclosed last year that the port of Suva received more than $10million in cruise ship earnings in 2017.
Mr Naivalu has confirmed that Sun Princess is scheduled to be at Dravuni Kadavu on January 28 2019.
“We commend the continuous support rendered from the respective Fiji Government ministries and also external stakeholders which have greatly assisted in facilitating cruise ship arrivals to Fiji.”
