MS Queen Elizabeth was in port |10 April 2017

One of the world’s most famous cruise ships, MS Queen Elizabeth, was in Port Victoria yesterday.

Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine Minister Maurice Loustau-Lalanne and his delegation comprising tourism principal secretary Anne Lafortune; civil aviation, ports and marine principal secretary Garry Albert; Seychelles Tourism Board chief executive Sherin Francis; Seychelles Ports Authority chief executive Colonel Andre Ciseau visited the cruise ship yesterday.

A Vista-class cruise ship, MS Queen Elizabeth is the second largest ship constructed for the Cunard Line, exceeded only by Queen Mary 2.

It can carry up to 2,092 passengers, and according to reports there were 1,950 passengers on board when it reached Seychelles yesterday.

It was expected to leave port last night for Reunion before heading to Mauritius, Cape Town in South Africa and the Mediterranean Sea on its way to Southampton, England, where the four-month trip will end.

In fact, the ship started its journey in Southampton and travelled to the United States of America, Japan, China, Singapore and Sri Lanka before berthing at Port Victoria under the command of captain Aseem Hashmi.

Although Seychelles NATION was denied entry onto the ship yesterday morning as planned, this newspaper learned that a British male passenger, aged 79, has passed away on board the cruise ship and the incident happened outside the Seychelles territorial water.

While some visitors are being entertained with local music and dance on the quay side, others visit nearby stalls selling souvenirs and other local items