Antrac Maldives Private Limited has revealed that the second cruise ship arrived in the Maldives after the re-opening of borders following the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. MS Seven Seas Explorer was brought in by Antrac Maldives on December 4.
Speaking to PSM News, Senior Operations Manager at Antrac Maldives Abdul Wadood said the cruise ship arrived from Bangalore, India, carrying 688 tourists that have received permission to visit various places in Male’. Additionally, Wadood said there are still challenges in bringing cruise ships to the Maldives, such as the guidelines banning entry and exit of vessels when or if a passenger tested positive for COVID-19, while resorts are allowed to operate after isolating the individual. He added that other countries allow cruise ships to operate after isolating any sick passengers. He cited other issues such as cruise ships only being allowed to stay for seven days, which causes many cruise ships to avoid the Maldives.
Antrac Maldives stated that it is scheduled to bring in two more cruise ships this month and another two in January next year.