MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

South Georgia expects busiest cruise season ever

“Nordenorge” will be the first of sixty cruise calls in South Georgia

South Georgia is preparing for the busiest cruise ship season ever which is scheduled to begin October 25th with the arrival of “Nordenorge” with 300 passengers, reports the SG government. However the tourist season starts with five yachts (three of them with expedition groups) due to arrive as of October 11th.

Licences have been granted for sixty cruise ship visits licenses so far, with about another seven expected to apply. This is a more than 50% increase in ship visits compared to last season. Total passenger capacity for the season will reach about 9400, which, with an average occupancy rate of 86%, will probably translate into about 8000 actual cruise ship tourists. The busiest month will be January with approximately 17 cruise ships visiting during the month. The cruise ships are generally fairly evenly spread throughout the season, which runs up to the end of March. A quiet few days in the third week of December will give breathing space before the arrival of six large cruise ships (between 100 and 200 passenger capacity) to Grytviken between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day. The largest cruise ship visiting this season will be the 720-passenger capacity "Prinsendam" in early February. Another large ship, the 550 passenger capacity ship "Discovery", will make three calls to Grytviken during the season. Cruise ships that are not IAATO (International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators) members, which includes any ship over 500 passengers, may only land their passengers at Grytviken. GSGSSI is currently undertaking a tourism management policy review which may see future passenger landings restricted (at any site) to vessels carrying no more than 500 passengers.