Cruises resume in Monaco
Cruise ships flock to Monaco from April to November, . © Communication Department
They had been shut down during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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You may have noticed some large cruise ships in the ports of the Principality. A total of 137 such ships will be coming to Monaco until September, after a two-year hiatus.
The decision comes with a few rules: from now on, ships will be limited to 1,250 passengers and 250 metres. Olivier Lavagna, CEO of SEPM (Monaco ports authority) told Monaco Info: “We want to target the luxury and premium category clientele. (…) We also want to favour berthing boats at the dock, with fewer off-shore moorings, so as to reduce the environmental impact of our business,” he explained.
Olivier Lavagna added that the goal is to develop the “starting port” aspect as much as possible, in other words ensure that passengers embark and disembark from their cruise in Monaco: “When going on a cruise, people tend to arrive the day before. They therefore get to try out local hospitality, which can make the client want to visit again, and not necessarily for a cruise.”
In fact, cruises have a significant economic impact in the Principality. “For the SEPM, they represent 10% of the annual turnover, and for the Principality we are talking about several million euros. This is not insignificant for the local economy,” he said in conclusion.