Massive Cruise Ship On Day Visit To Cook Islands

The 930-passenger cruise ship Viking Sun will call off Avatiu Harbour at about 7am and will depart later in the afternoon at about 5pm.

Cook Islands Tourism said the disembarkation of passengers would be confirmed early.

“As weather conditions could be uncertain, it will not be confirmed until the morning of arrival and is totally dependent on the assessments by the captain and/or agent,” the corporation said in a statement.

“All tourism operators are advised to prepare as much as possible for these arrivals and the conditions.”

Destination Management Cook Islands (DMCK) manager Nina Webb said they would be taking about 700 of the ship’s passengers on a tour of Te Ara – Cook Islands Museum of Cultural Enterprise in Muri.

“After visiting the museum, the guests will have an opportunity to wander around Muri beach, there are some who are booked with the lagoon cruises and safari tours,” Webb said.

“Some of the passengers might want to go for a walk around the town area, while others might want to visit other tourism sites.

“Tourism Cook Islands will be welcoming the guests at the jetty with their string band and a warrior. We will have someone welcoming them before they board the buses. We have also organised a string band for entertainment, and extra marquees at the harbour area for their comfort.”

The Viking Sun was launched last year and is on her maiden world cruise tour from Miami to London. The ship will visit 21 countries in five continents.

The ship cost around $547.4 million and is the fourth in a series of 10 identical vessels built for Viking Ocean Cruises.

The 47,800-ton cruise ship offers what’s described as a “destination-oriented” cruising experience, with few at-sea days and long in-ports days.

The ship has 465 cabins of which 47 are suites, 32 penthouses and 386 balcony rooms.

The minimum fare for the round trip on the maiden voyage, which ends in May is $68,484, while the maximum is a whopping $205,522.

The average age of passengers on board Viking Sun is 70 years.

(Source: Cook Islands News 19 January 2018)

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