The development included expanding the wharf, deepening the yacht basin and improving the terminal. Last year, the project has seen deepening of the basin from minus 10 meters LWS (low water spring) to minus 11 meters LWS to enable the mooring of larger cruise ships with a length of more than 300 meters. To improve the cruise terminal, the port would provide more X-ray machines, check-in counters, waiting rooms, as well as other facilities, including preparing officers for customs, immigration and quarantine.
All these improvements were being carried out because this port was a pilot project for the first “turn-around port” in Indonesia, which was one that conducted embarkation and debarkation. Previously, the port only functioned as a destination port, where cruise ships only made a stopover for several hours to allow the passengers to go sightseeing on the island. By being a turn-around port, the passengers or tourists taking a tour package, have to wait for several days before embarking. This could increase hotel occupancies and spending that would bring a greater contribution to the island’s tourism.
This year, 13 cruise ships are scheduled to turn around in Benoa, including Classic International, Companie du Ponant, Crystal Cruise, Orion Expedition Cruise, Seabourne Cruise and Voyage of Antiquity.
The port management recorded that the number of tourists visiting Bali on cruise ships through Benoa in 2011 reached 42,000 people. Last year, the number is estimated to reach 50,000. As of November, there had been 48,600 tourists entering Bali through the port. This year, the number is targeted to reach 60,000 tourists through 30 cruise calls. Benoa is one of the main ports in the country and contributed 24 percent of total cruise calls and 40 percent of total passengers.