The recent arrival of international cruise ship MSC Sinfonia, at Port of Durban marked the official start of South African 2017-2018 cruise season.
The cruise ship, carrying 2,300 South African and European passengers, was welcomed with marimba band, traditional dancers and tug spray.
Port of Durban expects 13 cruise ships this season, which is up from 8 which visited the port during 2016-2017 season.
Passenger numbers at Port of Durban have grown from 171,510 (2015) to 209,712 last year. The port witnessed a 22% increase in 2016 compared to 2015.
South African cruise season runs from late October to early May.