Halt in arrival of cruise liners, as pilotage fee increases

Shipping companies have been expressing their concern over the halt of cruise liners arriving to the Maldives as the pilotage fees charged by Maldives Port Authority (MPA) has suddenly increased without prior notice or discussion.

The cruise liners are docked outside the Male’ city and are moved in and out of the Male’ city area by MPL pilots. For this service, as a pilotage fee, MVR 16,330.52 was charged per hour. However, this fee was hugely increased to MVR 74,458.56 starting from last December. Apart from this, other various fees are also charged for the use of the port.

Previously, around 60,000 cruise liners arrive to the Maldives yearly, with around 60,000 tourists. However, this year, no tourists have arrived to the Maldives via the cruise lining sector.

Previously, Maldives was used as a port of embarkation and disembarkation of tourists to cruise liners. The country receives income via other sources as well when cruise liners are docked outside Male’.

Rented ferries bringing tourists to and forth, services for fuel and water, and money spent by tourists once they arrive to the capital are all examples of such income sources. Taxi centers also benefit with the arrival of tourists from cruise liners. However, all of this have currently stopped.

While speaking to Sun, MD Abdullah Jaleel of Allianz Management Services Limited, a large-scale shipping company, said that despite MPL increasing the pilotage fee, there is no change in the fee assigned by the competitors of Maldives and therefore, cruise liners are docking to competitor’s ports.

“Once they check the prices and notice that there is an increase, they change their decision. In Sri Lanka, the pilotage fee is just USD 400 for keeping the boat at the jetty,” he said. “But in Maldives, the cruise liners need to be kept out of Male’ and ferries are needed to be rented to bring tourists back and forth. Pilotage fees are cheap in India and Seychelles as well. So, cruise liners are now docking to these countries.”

He further elaborated that cruise liner ships have resumed their services after experiencing massive losses due to the pandemic and therefore, they will choose ports which are less costly.

Sun Rise Maldives MD, Mohamed Shaahir said that Maldives charges the highest pilotage fee, compared to its neighbors, and despite the high fee, offer less services.

Despite the massive income generated by cruise liners in general, shipping companies face multiple challenges to carry out their services. Challenges include disallowing the use of the official docking port of Male’ for disembarkation of tourists on cruise liners. With strenuous effort, later the Fishermen’s Park was offered as an alternative.Shipping companies have been expressing their concern over the halt of cruise liners arriving to the Maldives as the pilotage fees charged by Maldives Port Authority (MPA) has suddenly increased without prior notice or discussion.

The cruise liners are docked outside the Male’ city and are moved in and out of the Male’ city area by MPL pilots. For this service, as a pilotage fee, MVR 16,330.52 was charged per hour. However, this fee was hugely increased to MVR 74,458.56 starting from last December. Apart from this, other various fees are also charged for the use of the port.

Previously, around 60,000 cruise liners arrive to the Maldives yearly, with around 60,000 tourists. However, this year, no tourists have arrived to the Maldives via the cruise lining sector.

Previously, Maldives was used as a port of embarkation and disembarkation of tourists to cruise liners. The country receives income via other sources as well when cruise liners are docked outside Male’.

Rented ferries bringing tourists to and forth, services for fuel and water, and money spent by tourists once they arrive to the capital are all examples of such income sources. Taxi centers also benefit with the arrival of tourists from cruise liners. However, all of this have currently stopped.

While speaking to Sun, MD Abdullah Jaleel of Allianz Management Services Limited, a large-scale shipping company, said that despite MPL increasing the pilotage fee, there is no change in the fee assigned by the competitors of Maldives and therefore, cruise liners are docking to competitor’s ports.

“Once they check the prices and notice that there is an increase, they change their decision. In Sri Lanka, the pilotage fee is just USD 400 for keeping the boat at the jetty,” he said. “But in Maldives, the cruise liners need to be kept out of Male’ and ferries are needed to be rented to bring tourists back and forth. Pilotage fees are cheap in India and Seychelles as well. So, cruise liners are now docking to these countries.”

He further elaborated that cruise liner ships have resumed their services after experiencing massive losses due to the pandemic and therefore, they will choose ports which are less costly.

Sun Rise Maldives MD, Mohamed Shaahir said that Maldives charges the highest pilotage fee, compared to its neighbors, and despite the high fee, offer less services.

Despite the massive income generated by cruise liners in general, shipping companies face multiple challenges to carry out their services. Challenges include disallowing the use of the official docking port of Male’ for disembarkation of tourists on cruise liners. With strenuous effort, later the Fishermen’s Park was offered as an alternative.