MS Maasdam the first cruise ship of Eden's season

It was the maiden visit to the town for the MS Maasdam and a crowd of tourism workers, stall owners and interested onlookers gathered at Snug Cove to welcome the ship’s passengers to shore.  

There were 1054 passengers on board, including about 10 kids and catered for by a crew of 571, who got to enjoy luxuries such as a casino, spa, salon, shops, swimming pool, gym, sports court, hot tubs and more on the ship. 

Bega Valley Shire Mayor Kristy McBain was among a group that was allowed to tour the ship as its passengers explored the town. 

She said 14 ships had planned to dock at Eden this season – double last year’s number – including four that would stop there for the first time.

“Cruise Eden and [Sapphire Coast Tourism’s] Natalie Godward have done a great job of marketing the port in Eden and the numbers will hopefully increase when the wharf extension is completed,” she said. 

She said the wharf extension was due to be completed by the 2018/19 season. 

Cr McBain said when cruise ships brought passengers to the area it was a huge economic boost for the shire as a whole.

During the tour, MS Maasdam’s Captain Ane Jau Smit said the ship had travelled about 16-and-a-half knots from Sydney overnight to arrive at the town and he found the coastline around Eden to be stunning. 

“I think it’s very beautiful, the coastline and the beaches,” he said. 

After the tour, Cr McBain said the captain had told her from a scenic perspective Eden had the best port he had ever visited. 

The season continued on Monday, when the MS Noordam stopped at Eden with close to 2000 passengers.