The West Port Said port received the Palau-flagged cruise ship Astoria Grande on its maiden visit on Monday, carrying 414 passengers and 409 crew members on a voyage from Turkey, the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) said in a statement.
The vessel, arriving from the Turkish port of Kusadasi as part of its regular Mediterranean cruises, will organise tourist programmes for its passengers during its stay. These include local visits within Port Said, as well as trips to Cairo and Giza to tour various tourist and archaeological landmarks, before departing on Monday evening for the Turkish port of Antalya.
Owned by Goodwin Shipping Ltd, the cruise ship has a length of 193 metres, a width of 32 metres, and a draft of 6 metres.
The arrival falls within the SCZone’s efforts to stimulate maritime tourism across its Mediterranean and Red Sea ports, and to enhance its readiness to accommodate cruise ships by providing necessary services and facilities to both passengers and vessels. The authority noted that it continues to develop and upgrade its seaports to support operational capacities and boost competitiveness in trade, logistics, and cruise tourism.
The West Port Said port enjoys a strategic location at the northern entrance of the Suez Canal, which enhances its capacity to receive cruise ships and support inbound tourism to Egypt, the statement added.
