Cruise ship MSC Magnifica anchored in Rarotonga bringing more than 2000 passengers with her.

Avarua was bustling yesterday as hundreds of passengers disembarked tenders throughout the day and took advantage of the fine weather onshore. 

MSC Magnifica first officer Dobrivoje Djukovic, pictured with Cook Islands Tourism staffer Tiare Henry-Anguna, said 2053 passengers are on the cruise, assisted by 935 crew.

He said the cruise began in Italy and headed out into the Mediterranean, cross the Atlantic Ocean and along the east coast of South America, visiting Brazil and Argentina before crossing to the west and stopping in Chile and Peru.

It then sailed to Easter Island and Papeete before heading to the Cooks. 

Cook Islands Tourism Corporation director of destination development Brad Kirner said most accurate figures (2014) showed each cruise ship visitor spent $91 on Rarotonga and $72 in Aitutaki.

Kirner said there were well known challenges around infrastructure on Rarotonga in terms of cruise ship access, the need to tender passengers to shore, weather and transport.

However, cruise ship passengers were low impact and high spending and something the Cook Islands Tourism would look into as part of its future strategy development, he said. 

Meanwhile, Sieni Tiraa, sustainable tourism advocate, assisted conservationists Ian Karika and Brennan Panzarella in taking passengers to the Takitumu Conservation Area (TCA).

“We took two lots of people up in the morning and afternoon sessions, totalling at around 50 passengers,” Tiraa said.

“This is an example of a sustainable tourism activity whereby the proceeds of these funds go towards the preservation of the TCA and the conservation efforts towards the habitat of endemic species such as the Rarotongan Flycatcher, also known as the Kakerori.

“This was my first time being a part of such an activity and it won’t be the last.”

The cruise is set to finish on April 30 in Italy.   

MSC Magnifica was built in France and launched in 2009. It has a gross tonnage of 95,000 and is 290 metres in length, with 13 decks, three swimming pools, a gymnasium, spa, 1200 seat theatre, cinema, casino and a top speed of 23 knots.