Tourism Cruise business in Seychelles profitable for M/Y Pegasus and offers opportunities for more operators
Almasalla Arab Travel Portal News – In the Seychelles waters, a new generation of mini cruise liners are sailing the inner islands, exploring the hot spots which earmark Seychelles as an island hopping destination. For many years Silhouette Cruises cruised these waters and even sailed to the outer islands inclusive of the renowned Aldabra Atoll. Now they have been joined by the M/Y Pegasus of the Variety Cruises. Glynn Burridge of the Seychelles Tourism Board often says that Seychelles was conceived with sailors in mind. He says this because of the profusion of islands, both granitic and the flat coral ones providing ideal island hoping holidays.
Every Saturday M/Y Pegasus, a Greek registered floating vessel sets sail from the Inter Island Quay of Mahe for an exotic seven nights/days of island hopping, with choice sailings on Cousin, Aride, Praslin, Curieuse, Felicite, La Digue, Moyenne and St Pierre Islands.
Holiday makers do have a choice of booking for four or five nights. Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture, Anne Lafortune, the Principal Secretary for Tourism and Benjamine Rose, Principal Secretary for Culture boarded the Pegasus on Saturday 22nd March for a firsthand experience of an all Seychelles cruise tourism program.
These short cruises offering the opportunity of discovering several islands of the archipelago are proven to be a success with holidaymakers. Pegasus has been able to market Seychelles both as a cruise destination with before or after hotel stays of the different islands.
With a mix crew of Seychellois, Mauritians, Egyptians, Filipinos and Greeks working on the cruise ship Pegasus, holidaymakers are given a five star a personalise service. The ship sails off from the Inter Island Quay from Port Victoria for its overnight stop in the Ste Anne Marine Park just off Sainte Anne Island.
Once at anchor the Pegasus team welcomes its holidaymakers before proceeding to an in-depth explanation of safety and evacuation procedures. The professionalism displayed by the team of the Pegasus re-assures the guests that they are in good hands on their floating hotel for their cruise around the islands of the Seychelles. Pegasus creates a distinctive type of cruising called “Garden of Eden” which provides its passengers with the freedom and flexibility associated with a resort style atmosphere and experience to visit some of the Seychelles most fascinating islands designated as Nature Reserves.
Donny Valentin is one of the Seychellois working on Pegasus. For the past year, he has been working as a Cruise Coordinator on board, taking passengers to and from islands on the cruise route of the Pegasus. Always in a jolly mood, Donny meets his clients every night before dinner for a briefing of the cruise next stopover. Among his clients, Donny is considered as a star on Pegasus.
“Working on a cruise ship can be such a fascinating experience and opportunity to meet new faces’’ said Donny Valentin
When the twin hull Pegasus launched its seven days-night package in December 2012, business was slow, but it has gradually picked up. Today the cruise liner remains in a League of its own in Seychelles, tapping mostly in the European markets.
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