Noble Caledonia ship Island Sky is scheduled to be the first cruise vessel to return to Seychelles in November.
The archipelago’s authorities decided last March to only welcome ships with a maximum capacity of 300 passengers.
Following the arrival of 118-passenger Noble Caledonia on November 14, other small cruise ships will call into the Seychelles throughout the season.
Island Sky will call at four of the Seychelles’ outer islands during its sailing.
More than 63,000 cruise passengers visited the Seychelles on 39 calls during the 2019-2020 season. The last ship to call before the season ended due to the pandemic was Ponant’s 184-passenger Bougainville, on March 11, 2020.
More: The Seychelles to open to tourists from March 25
Principal secretary for civil aviation, ports and marine, Alan Renaud, said that his department had developed a checklist for cruise lines that identify measures to be taken on board ships to ensure safe operations.
He said: “The documents outline the respective responsibilities of local agencies and the cruise ships in relation to Covid-19 matters, identification of critical resources and personnel, the passenger and terminal arrangements at ports of call, the contingencies in case of a Covid-19 outbreak, the protection of communities visited by the ship, and, generally, the coordination between cruises and ports in relation to Covid-19.”
Sherin Francis, principal secretary for tourism, said: “The reopening of the cruise ship season is another milestone for our destination.
“I am happy that all relevant actors have ensured that due precautions have been taken to facilitate this exercise in a safe manner.”