Cape Town has confirmed 72 ship calls for the 2025/6 season to date with this likely to change as the season progresses, according to Wesgro.
A number of inaugural and speciality cruises are among the lineup for the season, including Ponant’s Le Commandant – a small ice-breaking vessel best known for its polar expeditions. The 20-day cruise will depart from Cape Town for Brest, France. Ponant’s Le Bougainville, a small five-star vessel, will also be calling during the season, Wesgro said.
Additionally, the National Geographic Orion, an explorer ship operated by Lindblad Expeditions, will be calling, according to information shared by Wesgro. The ship will be sailing on a new itinerary called Southern Africa: Living History and Legendary Species, which will take visitors to South Africa and Zambia with several experts on board.
“This new offering will allow our guests to immerse themselves in the majesty of Southern Africa while continuing National Geographic’s extraordinary legacy of global exploration,” said Nancy Schumacher, Senior Vice President and General Manager for National Geographic Expeditions. The nine-day itinerary will feature visits to Table Mountain, District Six and the Boulder’s Beach penguin colony in Cape Town and passengers will also travel to Sabi Sabi Game Reserve within the Greater Kruger Park.
The iconic Queen Mary 2 will also be making its way back to Cape Town in April. Its sister ship, Queen Anne, will end its Southampton-Cape Town route in the city in January.
The new season is aiming to beat successful 2024/5 when 79 ship calls generated just under R2 billion (US$116 million) in visitor spend, according to the Western Cape Cruise Liner Industry Report commissioned by Wesgro’s Cruise Cape Town.
The city has benefited from rerouting ships as a result of security issues in the Red Sea since 2023. However, this has also resulted in several empty cruise liners arriving in Cape Town.
The industry report also states that smaller cities and towns benefit from the general increase in cruise tourism. Mossel Bay, Hermanus and Saldanha Bay benefit from a total of 26 ship visits generating R47.5 million (US$2.8 million) in local spend.
