Luxury cruise ship MS Queen Mary 2 marked its maiden voyage to Colombo. Measuring 1132 feet long, MS Queen Mary 2 is one of the largest cruise ships to arrive at Colombo’s shores. The luxury cruise ship arrived at Colombo East Terminal carrying more than 3,800 passengers and crew, and was welcomed by officials from the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau.
The mega ship’s arrival also marked the first cruise ship to be welcomed to the Colombo Port for this year, and follows on a series of developments by Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) and its partners to grow the cruise tourism sector in Sri Lanka, and encourage more cruise liners to place Colombo on their itineraries. 47 passenger cruises arrived in Sri Lanka in 2018, while from January 2019 up to now, 12 passenger cruises have called to port. Sri Lanka, as a destination enriched with four natural harbors, has become a significant landmark for luxury passenger cruises to stop by.
The ship which arrived from Mormugao (Goa), India, was facilitated by Sri Lankan shipping line Shipping Agency Services, while Abercrombie Travel Agency, which provided the ground handling, ensured that the passengers were able to complete the necessary procedures swiftly and seamlessly. The cruise liner embarked its journey from New York City on 3 January and is scheduled to return to New York on 21 April this year, completing 108 nights over sea. SLTPB hosted an information desk onboard the ship, which greatly assisted the passengers in providing information on places they can visit and see during their tour. Some of the tourist attractions the passengers chose to see included Pinnawela elephant orphanage, Bentota, Hikkaduwa, Negombo, tea plantations, Temple of the Tooth and Colombo City for shopping.
The cruise liner has five restaurants, 12 bars and cafes, five pools, basketball courts, golf practice nets, tennis courts, gym, canyon ranch, salons. The liner also has many entertainment options including a Royal Court theatre, Empire casino, Queens Room ballroom, Illuminations planetarium/cinema/classical music, G32 nightclub, Commodore Club observation lounge, children’s’ club and more.
