Port Denarau in Nadi was full of activities yesterday with the visit of the Australian cruiseliner, MV Pacific Jewel.
The liner, the sister ship of the Pacific Dawn of the P&O Cruises Australia, berthed at 8am, bringing thousands of tourists ashore.
The vessel is the latest cruise ship to visit Fiji this year.
Mr Clint, a security specialist on the ship, said there were 1876 passengers on board with 734 crew members.
According to Mr Clint (who refused to mention his second name for security reason) all passengers, came ashore.
“We visited Dravuni, in Kadavu yesterday (Saturday) and it was amazing,” he said.
“The island is just beautiful.”
He said they also visited Mystery Island in Vanuatu and Isle of Pine in New Caledonia before coming to to Fiji.
The arrival of the liner was welcomed by stakeholders in the tourists industry.
Taxi drivers, tour operators, handicraft hawkers and shop owners all benefited from the visit.
Food outlets on Denarau were full as tourists enjoy a taste of Fiji.
Hard Rock Café general manager, Ritesh Patel, said any cruise ship visit was always good news to business in the area.
Mr Patel said they had prepared well for the Pacific Jewel’s visit.
“We invested a lot into this. We put decoration and extra pot plants to create a party atmosphere. They all liked beer, even the crew members. Stopovers like this is a good opportunity for most of them to dine out.”
Mr Patel hired a musical group to entertain the visitors.
The Italian-built vessel, formerly known as Mv Crown Princess, departed Denarau Island at 4pm.
FIji Sun – EMOSI LASAQA
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