Facebook Twitter Youtube

Benoa Port Welcomes Seven Cruise Ships in One Week, Highlighting Tourism Surge


Four international cruise ships docked at Benoa Port in Denpasar, Bali, over a span of five consecutive days, from Sunday (April 6) to Thursday (April 10).

The vessels in question were the MV Viking Orion, MS Paul Gauguin, MV Norwegian Sun, and Seven Seas Mariner. This influx coincided with the post-Eid al-Fitr return period in 2025, making the port even busier than usual.

According to CNN Indonesia, General Manager of Pelindo Sub Regional 3 Bali-Nusra, Agung Mataram, described the event as historic.

“We at Pelindo Sub Regional 3 Bali-Nusra, especially at Benoa Port, are extremely enthusiastic to welcome these cruise ships. It’s a rare occasion to have four cruise ships dock consecutively over five days,” he stated.

Series of Cruise-ship Visits

Agung added that the arrival of these four vessels marks only the beginning of a series of cruise ship visits to Benoa. Three more ships are scheduled to arrive between Friday (April 11) and Sunday (April 13), bringing the total number of cruise ship visits in a single week to seven.

“This proves that Benoa Port is not just a logistics hub, but also a gateway for international tourism into Indonesia. We are continuously improving our services and ensuring a safe and comfortable experience for all incoming tourists,” he added.

Cruise Ship Arrivals in the First Week of April:

  • MV Viking Orion (Norway, 228 meters long, 47,881 GT), carrying 1,430 passengers, arrived on Sunday (April 6) at 6:00 AM WITA. The ship departed for Tanjung Perak, Surabaya, on Monday (April 7) at 2:00 PM WITA.
  • MS Paul Gauguin (France, 163 meters long, 19,170 GT) docked on Monday (April 7) at 6:00 AM WITA with 430 passengers and 218 crew members. It departed for Komodo Island on Tuesday (April 8) at 5:00 PM WITA.
  • MV Norwegian Sun (258 meters long) arrived on Tuesday (April 8) at 12:00 PM WITA, carrying 1,768 passengers.
  • Seven Seas Mariner (216 meters long) arrived on Wednesday (April 9) at 9:00 AM WITA with 915 passengers.


During the peak of the Eid return period, especially on the 10th day after Eid (H+10), Benoa Port recorded around 7,000 passengers transiting through its domestic and international terminals.

To accommodate the surge, the port authority added an extra X-ray scanner and set up a 2025 BUMN Holiday Command Post within the domestic terminal area.

Three More Cruise Ships to Follow:

After the first four arrivals, Benoa Port is set to receive three more large cruise ships :

1. Seven Seas Voyager (Bahamas, 206 meters long) arrived on Friday (April 11) with 648 passengers. Of these, 416 disembarked at Benoa, and 500 new passengers boarded for the next leg of the journey. The ship will continue on to Celukan Bawang (Buleleng), then Surabaya, Semarang, Singapore, and Laem Chabang, Thailand, ending its voyage on Saturday (April 26).

2. Oceania Nautica (Marshall Islands, 181 meters long), carrying 536 passengers, is scheduled to remain in port until Saturday (April 12) as part of its voyage from Papeete, French Polynesia, to Singapore.

3. Ovation of the Seas, a Bahamas-flagged ship measuring 348 meters in length, is scheduled to dock on Sunday (April 13) at 6:00 AM WITA. This luxurious vessel is carrying 4,461 passengers from Sydney, Australia, and will depart the same day at 6:00 PM WITA en route to Singapore. According to records, Ovation of the Seas will be the second-longest cruise ship ever to dock in Indonesia via Benoa, after Anthem of the Seas, which arrived on February 28.

Cruise Tourism on the Rise in Bali

Data from Pelindo Sub Regional 3 Bali and Nusa Tenggara shows that from January to mid-April 2025, 36 cruise ships have visited Bali. In comparison, a total of 59 cruise ships visited in 2024, up from 48 the year before. For 2025, the number is projected to rise to 77 cruise ship visits.

As reported by MSN, Agung Mataram emphasized the significant impact of cruise tourism on the local economy. “It not only boosts the tourism sector but also directly benefits local businesses,” he said.

He expressed hope that passengers disembarking from the ships would buy souvenirs and crafts from local vendors around the international terminal. Moreover, these tourists often embark on excursions to various destinations across Bali, benefiting tour guides, transportation providers, and tourism operators alike.

The arrival of cruise ships also serves as a platform to showcase Balinese culture, as each docking is greeted with traditional performances and cultural showcases.



Sources: CNN Indonesia, MSN
Feat Image : Pelindo Benoa via AntaraNews

LATEST

BaliExpat is being driven by Seven Stones Indonesia, a customer-centric company who believe in being authentic to deliver value to, and for, all stakeholders, to boost business growth and prosperity.

Instagram Facebook Twitter

Write for Us

Write Now

Navigation

Copyright © 2022 baliexpat.com | All Rights Reserved.

Andrzej Barski

Director of Seven Stones Indonesia

Andrzej is Co-owner/ Founder and Director of Seven Stones Indonesia. He was born in the UK to Polish parents and has been living in Indonesia for more than 33-years. He is a skilled writer, trainer and marketer with a deep understanding of Indonesia and its many cultures after spending many years travelling across the archipelago from North Sumatra to Irian Jaya.

His experience covers Marketing, Branding, Advertising, Publishing, Real Estate and Training for 5-Star Hotels and Resorts in Bali and Jakarta, which has given him a passion for the customer experience. He’s a published author and a regular contributor to local and regional publications. His interests include conservation, eco-conscious initiatives, spirituality and motorcycles. Andrzej speaks English and Indonesian.

Terje H. Nilsen

Director of Seven Stones Indonesia

Terje is from Norway and has been living in Indonesia for over 20-years. He first came to Indonesia as a child and after earning his degree in Business Administration from the University of Agder in Norway, he moved to Indonesia in 1993, where he has worked in leading positions in education and the fitness/ wellness industries all over Indonesia including Jakarta, Banjarmasin, Medan and Bali.

He was Co-owner and CEO of the Paradise Property Group for 10-years and led the company to great success. He is now Co-owner/ Founder and Director of Seven Stones Indonesia offering market entry services for foreign investors, legal advice, sourcing of investments and in particular real estate investments. He has a soft spot for eco-friendly and socially sustainable projects and investments, while his personal business strengths are in property law, tourism trends, macroeconomics, Indonesian government and regulations. His personal interests are in sport, adventure, history and spiritual experiences.

Terje’s leadership, drive and knowledge are recognised across many industries and his unrivalled network of high level contacts in government and business spans the globe. He believes you do good and do well but always in that order. Terje speaks English, Indonesian and Norwegian.

Contact Our Consultants

[wpforms id=”43785″]

Ridwan Jasin Zachrie

CFO of Seven Stones Indonesia, Jakarta

Ridwan is one of Indonesia’s top executives with a long and illustrious career in the financial world. He holds several professional certifications including being a Certified Business Valuer (CBV) issued by the Australian Academy of Finance and Management; Broker-Dealer Representative (WPPE); and The Directorship Certification for Directors and Commissioners, issued by the Indonesian Institute of Commissioners and Directors.

His experience includes being the Managing Director at one of the top investment banking groups in the region, the Recapital Group, the CFO at State-owned enterprises in fishery industry and the CEO at Tanri Abeng & Son Holding. He’s also been an Independent Commissioner in several Financial Service companies and on the Audit and Risk Committee at Bank BTPN Tbk, Berau Coal Energy Tbk, Aetra Air Jakarta as well as working for Citibank, Bank Mandiri and HSBC. His last position was as CFO at PT Citra Putra Mandiri – OSO Group.

Ridwan has won a number of prestigious awards including the Best CFO Awards 2019 (Institute of Certified Management Accountant Australia-Indonesia); Asia Pacific Young Business Leader awarded by Asia 21 Network New York USA (Tokyo 2008); UK Alumni Business Awards 2008 awarded by the British Council; and The Most Inspiring Human Resources Practitioners’ version of Human Capital Magazine 2010.

He’s a member of the Board of Trustees of the Alumni Association of the Faculty of Law, Trisakti University, Co-Founder of the Paramadina Public Policy Institute and actively writes books, publications and articles in the mass media. He co-authored “Korupsi Mengorupsi Indonesia” in 2009, which helps those with an interest in understanding governance in Indonesia and the critical issue of corruption. Ridwan speaks Indonesian and English.

Per Fredrik Ecker

Managing Director of Seven Stones Indonesia, Jakarta

Per is the Managing Director of the Seven Stones Indonesia (SSI) Jakarta office and has more than 25-years’ experience in Indonesia, China, and Western Europe. He previously worked in senior management positions with Q-Free ASA, Siemens AG, and other companies in the telecom sector. Over the last six years, he has been the Chairman of the Indonesia-Norway Business Council (INBC) and recently become elected to be on the board of EuroCham Indonesia.

His most recent experience is within Intelligent Transport Solutions (ITS), Telecom, and other sectors within the Indonesian market. He is today through his position in SSI and by representing Norway Connect, promoting Nordic and European companies that would like to explore business opportunities in the Indonesian market. He’s also playing an active role to help create the Nordic House concept in Jakarta that will provide an excellent platform for Nordic companies entering Indonesia, where they’ll find a community that can offer support with trusted information and affordable services to enter this market.