Phuket welcomed the Genting Dream cruise ship to its deep seaport on Wednesday, marking a milestone for marine tourism development on the island.
Local authorities carried out inspections upon the ship’s arrival at the port in Muang district and found no dangerous items and no diseases among the passengers, said Phuket deputy governor Adul Chuthong.
The Genting Dream, with an internal volume of 150,695 gross tonnage, can accommodate 3,600 passengers.
Departing from Singapore, the vessel normally arrives in Phuket twice a month and stays for 24 hours, Mr Adul said.
It is the first large cruise ship to anchor at the deep seaport. In the past, the vessel needed to anchor at sea and rely on service boats to transfer passengers to and from shore.
Its arrival at the port showed the island had an opportunity to welcome more large cruises in the future through its Marina Hub development policy, said Mr Adul.
The cruise business has tripled since before the Covid-19 pandemic, with at least 17 cruises now calling on Phuket each month, said Natchapong Pranit, director of the Regional Marine Office for the province.
He expressed confidence in the Marine Department’s plan to elevate the deep seaport into a new cruise terminal in the region, boosting the growth of the cruise business.
Michael Goh, president of Resorts World Cruises, the cruise operator, said the company had worked with local pilots for more than six months to plan and ensure the boat’s arrival at the port went smoothly.
The arrival of the Genting Dream would help stimulate the marine tourism industry not only in Phuket but also in Thailand as a whole, he said.
“We thank the Marine Department and the local authorities for working on the cruise arrival,” Mr Goh added.
