General News of Monday, 9 April 2001

Source: GNA

Ship with tourists docks at Takoradi harbour

Crystal Symphony, a six-star cruise vessel with 500 tourists from mainly the United States and Europe and 545 crew, arrived at the Takoradi Port on Monday for a day's visit.

Odeneho Gyapong Ababio II, President of the Western Regional House of Chiefs, and Captain Rieduif Maalen, who is in charge of the ship shook hands after it berthed.

Officials of the Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority, Ghana Tourist Board and the Immigration Service, were also on hand to welcome the tourists and the crew.

Later, Mr. John Aidoo, Western Regional Minister, was taken round the ship by Captain Maalen.

Speaking to the press, Mr. Kwame Ansong, Projects Co-ordinator of Sunseekers Tours Limited, local agents of the ship, said the ship, with 950 guestrooms, would call at the Takoradi Port again in November.

The last port of call of the ship, which made its first visit to Takoradi in April, last year, was Namibia in Southern Africa.

Some of the tourist visited places of interest in and outside the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis. The ship will later sail to The Gambia and Senegal