BENOA PORT ~ A luxury cruise ship, the Albatross, moored to Benoa Port for the first time this week, local port official HB Harahap said.

“Sailing under the German flag, with 596 tourists and 518 crew aboard, Albatross is a huge, luxury cruise ship that moored at Benoa Harbor for the first time on Tuesday,” Harahap was quoted by state news agency Antara as saying.

The tourists were from Europe, Asia and the United States, he said, adding that during their day-long stopover in Bali, they would visit local attractions.

Harahap said the presence of such a luxury cruise liner in Bali had a positive impact on the island’s tourism.

Security arrangements had been put in place for the 205-meter-long ship’s visit, and the craft later departed for East Timor before continuing on to Australia.