PHNOM PENH: Cambodia’s burgeoning cruise tourism sector received a significant boost on Thursday as two major foreign cruise ships, the Westerdam and the Norwegian, successfully docked at the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port in Preah Sihanouk province, disembarking nearly 4,000 international tourists.
The simultaneous arrival of the two vessels, carrying passengers from various nationalities, was hailed by local authorities as a strong indicator of Sihanoukville’s growing prominence as a key regional maritime destination.
Immigration Police officials confirmed that the disembarkation and processing of the thousands of visitors proceeded smoothly and in strict compliance with all national safety and security protocols.
The first vessel, the Dutch-flagged Westerdam, arrived from Thailand at 9:05 a.m. Measuring 285.22 metres in length, it carried 1,896 passengers of 42 nationalities, supported by a crew of 800. The largest contingents of tourists were from the United States (623) and Australia (539). The Westerdam is scheduled to depart Sihanoukville at 7:00 p.m. today, bound for Vietnam.
The second ship, the Bahamian-registered Norwegian, arrived from China an hour earlier at 8:00 a.m. The 268.29-metre vessel brought 1,877 passengers representing 52 nationalities, alongside a crew of 864. This ship’s passenger manifest was led by travellers from China (829), followed by Canada (261), and the United Kingdom (159). The Norwegian is set to depart for Thailand at 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 27.
Upon arrival in Preah Sihanouk province, the tourists fanned out to explore a diverse range of local attractions.
In a sign of deeper engagement with the country, five passengers in total (three from the Westerdam and two from the Norwegian) opted to forgo their ship’s next port of call to travel onward to Siem Reap province for sightseeing, highlighting the lure of Cambodia’s cultural centerpiece, Angkor Wat.
The Preah Sihanouk provincial administration formally welcomed the visitors, mobilising local authorities and security forces to coordinate the logistics and ensure public order, safety, and a positive experience for all international guests.