Queen Victoria of Cunard Line Calls at Colombo on Her Maiden Call. 105 Night Queen Victoria World Cruise 2013 Visits World’s Most Popular Cruise Departure Ports

01st April 2013, www.ft.lk

MS Queen Victoria, the luxury cruise ship operated by Cunard Line, arrived in Colombo on her maiden call yesterday.

In January this year, she set off on a stunning 105-night circumnavigation of the globe and arrived in Colombo from Port Kelang in Malaysia. She sailed from Colombo last evening, heading towards her next Port, Mumbai in India.

With a length overall of 294 m (964 ft) and a total of 16 decks, Queen Victoria is a near identical sister ship of the Queen Elizabeth, which also made her maiden call in Sri Lanka in March 2012.

Built at the Fincantieri Marghera shipyard, Italy, the vessel was commissioned by the Duchess of Cornwall in December 2007. 

The facilities on board Queen Victoria include seven restaurants and 13 bars, three swimming pools, a ballroom and a theatre. 

To commemorate her maiden call in Colombo, a ceremony was held on board and the vessel exchanged plaques with the Sri Lanka Ports Authority and its local agents, Shipping Agency Services Ltd.

Speaking on the occasion, Capt. L.N. Jayasooriya of Shipping Agency Services said that the call of Queen Victoria in Colombo, following the calls of Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth, indicated the commitment of Carnival Corporation in including Colombo as a regular port of call for their luxury cruise vessels/liners.

He also mentioned that they were pleased to be involved in the important contributions made to the Ports Authority and the tourism industry with these high profile vessel calls in Sri Lanka.
 
Over 1,000 passengers travelled on excursions to Kandy, Pinnawala, Ingiriya and on city tours.
The ground tours were arranged by Gemini Tours and Travels Ltd.

Luxury Cruiser Nautica in Colombo with 628 Tourists

05th January 2011, lankapuvath.lk

The luxury cruiser “Nautica” berthed at the Colombo Port yesterday (04) with 628 tourists aboard.

The ship carried tourists from countries including America, England, New Zealand, Switzerland and Australia.

The cruise is owned by American-based company Oceania Cruises, contains 750 comfortable rooms with facilities such as conference rooms, swimming pools, golf courts, etc., and many other state-of-the-art conveniences for the passengers.

The next destination of the vessel which started sailing from South Africa on 11 December is Myanmar.

Cruise Ship Calls at Sri Lanka's Eastern Port of Trincomalee after 30 Years

16th November 2010, www.lankabusinessonline.com

A luxury passenger vessel, MV Le Diamant, operated by the CMA CGM shipping line, has begun calls at Sri Lankan ports following the end of the island's 30-year ethnic war.

The Sri Lanka Ports Authority said the ship called at the eastern port of Trincomalee on November 14, the first time in 30 years the harbor has got a cruise call.

The vessel also called at the ports of Galle on the south coast and Colombo, on the west coast.

The cruise ship, which has a capacity of 112 cabins, is one of five luxury cruise ships owned and operated by CMA CGM Group's cruise arm Compangnie de Ponant.

CMA CGM is the world’s third largest container shipping line.

The SLPA said the line's local agent, CMA CGM Lanka, a subsidiary of the Hayleys conglomerate, had lobbied for the start of cruise calls with its French principals.

The ship was the first cruise liner to call three ports in the country on the same voyage.

Its second voyage is planned for May 2011.