The Port of Mombasa, Kenya, is positioning itself as a major Indian Ocean cruise destination following a run of high-profile ship calls in the 2024-25 season, though a security incident involving passengers in March 2025 has put the port’s ambitions under scrutiny ahead of the next season.
Cruise arrivals at the port rose to more than 6,500 visitors in 2024, up from around 2,400 the previous year. Travel And Tour World The 2024-25 season brought further momentum, with ships from Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH), Crystal Cruises, Viking, Azamara, and Oceania among those calling at Mombasa.
On February 23, President William Ruto visited the port to welcome the Norwegian Dawn, operated by Norwegian Cruise Line, which arrived from Seychelles carrying 2,220 tourists and 1,100 crew members from 54 nationalities. Konkan At 294 metres in length, the vessel ranked among the largest cruise ships ever to dock in Mombasa, KBC and Ruto used the occasion to announce plans for a multiple-entry electronic travel authorisation for arriving cruise tourists to replace paper-based entry procedures.
Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano said Kenya was expecting eight cruise ships throughout the season, describing the Norwegian Dawn as “the biggest ship we have received in the last 10 years.” Katakenya
The season’s final call proved more troubled. On March 31, a group of more than 50 youths accosted passengers who had disembarked from the MV Crystal Symphony near the Pembe za Ndovu monument on Moi Avenue, making off with valuables. Officers from the Kenya Tourism Board and the National Police Service boarded the ship to apologise to passengers. The Standard
The scale of the incident became contested. Crystal Cruises subsequently stated that the port call was not cancelled, and that the incident involved only one of its guest entertainers, who had a mobile phone stolen by a small group of youths. Mombasa County Commissioner Mohamed Noor said arrests had been made and that security measures were being strengthened across the Kenyan coast. Cruise Fever
Kenya Tourism Board Deputy Director Wausi Walya said a delegation from KTB and the Kenya Ports Authority would attend the Sea Trade Cruise Global Convention in Miami in April 2025 to promote Mombasa as a destination, citing “world-class facilities and professional port handling.” The Standard
The port’s cruise terminal, which eventually cost USD11mn to complete, was finished in July 2021 but remained idle due to the Covid-19 pandemic before receiving ships in subsequent seasons. CruiseMapper Officials have said the facility can now host up to 140,000 visitors annually. Kenya News Agency
“We pride ourselves on having the best port infrastructure on the eastern rim of the Indian Ocean,” Walya told The Standard.