BULELENG, DEWATA.NEWS – The luxury cruise ship MV Azamara Pursuit arrived at Celukan Bawang Port, North Bali, on Wednesday morning (December 17, 2025), marking another significant cruise visit to Buleleng Regency this month. The vessel arrived at 07:30 WITA and successfully berthed at the port at 07:45 WITA.
Sailing from Singapore, MV Azamara Pursuit carried 662 passengers and 384 crew members. Shortly after docking, scheduled tour activities for passengers began at 08:00 WITA, with visitors dispersing to several destinations across North Bali.
According to Buleleng’s Head of Tourism Office, I Gede Dody Sukma Oktiva Askara, 134 passengers immediately joined organized tour programs managed by Destination Asia as the official tour operator.
“A total of 134 passengers joined various tour options across North Bali, all organized by Destination Asia as the tour agent,” he said.
Popular destinations included Pedawa Traditional Village, snorkeling at Menjangan Island, Munduk Highland, Lovina Beach, Menjangan Dynasty Resort, and a city tour of Singaraja. To support tourist mobility, five large buses and six Hiace vans were deployed as the main transportation fleet.
“All tour groups are scheduled to return to Celukan Bawang Port at 18:00 WITA before continuing their voyage to Benoa Port at 20:00 WITA,” Dody added.
The arrival of MV Azamara Pursuit represents the second cruise ship visit to Buleleng in December 2025. Earlier this month, the Genting Dream cruise ship docked at the same port on December 3, bringing more than 4,000 tourists.
Looking ahead, Buleleng is set to receive three additional cruise ship calls before the end of the year. “As scheduled, we will welcome Celebrity Millennium on December 19 and 24, followed by Ovation of the Seas on December 31, 2025,” Dody said.
Local authorities see cruise tourism as a key contributor to meeting Buleleng’s annual visitor targets. The regency is aiming for 1.5 to 1.7 million tourist arrivals in 2025, both domestic and international. As of November, recorded visits had already reached 1.5 million.
“We are optimistic the target of 1.7 million visitors will be achieved, and possibly exceeded, especially with cruise arrivals and the peak holiday season during Christmas and New Year,” Dody concluded.