New Cat Cocos arrives to improve sea link between Mahé & Praslin
The new Cat Cocos, a brand new 35-metre high-speed catamaran, began operations on Tuesday, May 22, establishing the fastest-ever sea transport link between the Seychelles archipelago’s two largest islands.
The new catamaran represents a significant upgrade over the previous ‘Cat Cocos’ catamaran service between Mahé and Praslin, with a much greater capacity for 350 passengers and a faster, smoother ride lasting only 45 minutes. A new state-of-the-art computer ride control system makes automatic adjustments to reduce or nullify the risk of discomfort that may be caused by the motion of the sea.
The new Cat Cocos operates from a specifically designed terminal on Eden Island, which is connected by bridge to Mahé, the largest island of Seychelles and home to its lone international airport. Operating up to four times a day, the new Cat Cocos will allow visitors to the archipelago more flexibility in their itineraries than before, when the previous ferry operated at a maximum of three times per day.
“This is a great new addition for Seychelles and its tourism industry,” said Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, the chairman and CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board. “Island hopping to see the very best of our islands is a quintessential experience in a Seychelles holiday, whether by boat or by plane. And by boat, the experience for our visitors just got immensely better.”
The vessel has three on-board classes with an array of amenities, including snack-bar services, video screenings, and a souvenir boutique.
Business Class seating offers elite personalised service with unsurpassed passenger care. Luxury facilities are combined with the charming Creole atmosphere of the cabin and the spectacular panoramic views of the Indian Ocean for an extraordinary inter-island crossing.
The previous Cat Cocos, which has served the Mahé-Praslin route for nearly a decade, will be moving on to New Zealand