Cruising Season Opens With Promise As Giant Pacific World Docks In Port Louis

The 2025/26 cruise season has officially commenced in Mauritius, with the arrival of the MV Pacific World marking the first of 37 scheduled port calls. The massive vessel, operated by the Japanese organisation Peace Boat, docked in Port Louis on Sunday, September 7, carrying approximately 2,000 passengers.

The influx of visitors is expected to provide a significant boost to the local tourism industry and economy, with the 37 port calls between October 2025 and March 2026 confirming Mauritius’s appeal as an international cruise destination.

The Pacific World is currently on its 121st world tour, having departed from Yokohama, Japan, on 19 August and set to conclude on 5 December.

Built in Italy in 1995 and extensively refurbished in 2018, the vessel is the largest in Peace Boat’s history, measuring 261 metres long with a tonnage of over 77,000.

It boasts a capacity for 2,419 passengers and features nine passenger decks, with 70% of its cabins offering a private balcony.

Following its visit to Port Louis, the ship will continue its journey with stops in South Africa, Tenerife, Liverpool, Reykjavik, New York, Peru, and Tahiti. Prior to arriving in Mauritius, it had already made calls in Kobe, Shenzhen, and Singapore.

Port Louis’s cruise terminal, which was modernised in recent years to accommodate larger vessels, is set to welcome a host of other ships throughout the season.

These include the luxury residential cruise ship The World, expected on 7 October, and the Mein Schiff on 30 October, carrying nearly 2,500 passengers.

Other notable arrivals will be the Amera, the World Odyssey, and the Voyager of the Seas.

The busiest period is anticipated to be between January and March 2026, with 22 scheduled port calls and an estimated 28,500 passengers expected.

The months of November and December will see around 15 port calls, bringing approximately 16,300 passengers to Port Louis before the end of the year.

Rodrigues is also set to benefit from the season, with two cruise ship calls scheduled.

The World will visit Port-Mathurin on 11 November, followed by the Europa on 22 December, offering opportunities for the island’s developing cruise tourism sector.

The return of cruise liners signals a strong recovery for the industry after the pandemic, with each stopover generating revenue for the economy through passenger spending on excursions, dining, and shopping.

Source: Le Mauricien