Durban Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! === Sea === [[File:Durban harbor.jpg|thumb|Durban Harbour]] Durban has a long tradition as a port city. The [[Port of Durban]], formerly known as the Port of Natal, is one of the few natural [[Harbor|harbour]]s between [[Port Elizabeth]] and [[Maputo]], and is also located at the beginning of a particular{{clarify|date=June 2021}} weather phenomenon that can cause extremely violent seas. These two features made Durban an extremely busy [[Port|port of call]] for ship repairs when the port was opened in the 1840s. [[MSC Cruises]] bases one of their cruise ships in Durban from November to April every year. From the 2023/2024 Southern Africa cruise season [[MSC Cruises]] will be basing the [[MSC Splendida]] in Durban. Durban is the most popular cruise hub in Southern Africa. Cruise destinations from Durban on the [[MSC Splendida|MSC ''Splendida'']] include [[Mozambique]], [[Mauritius]], [[Réunion]], [[Madagascar]] and other domestic destinations such as Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. Many other ships cruise through Durban every year, including some of the world's biggest, such as the [[RMS Queen Mary 2|RMS ''Queen Mary 2'']], the biggest ocean liner in the world. Durban has built a brand new R200 million cruise terminal that has been in operation since October 2019, the [[Durban Cruise Terminal]]. The tender was awarded to KwaZulu Cruise Terminal (Pty) Ltd, which is 70% owned by MSC Cruises SA and 30% by Africa Armada Consortium. The new cruise terminal will be able to accommodate two cruise ships at any given time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article2650355.ece|title=Times LIVE|website=www.timeslive.co.za|access-date=1 June 2017|archive-date=6 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181206173410/https://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article2650355.ece/|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Naval Base Durban]] on [[Salisbury Island, Durban|Salisbury Island]] (now joined to the mainland and part of the Port of Durban), was established as a [[naval base]] during the [[Second World War]]. It was downgraded in 2002 to a naval station. In 2012 a decision was made to renovate and expand the facilities back up to a full naval base to accommodate the [[South African Navy]]'s [[offshore patrol vessel|offshore patrol]] flotilla.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=23908:navy-may-upgrade-naval-station-durban-&catid=108:maritime-security&Itemid=233|title=Navy may upgrade Naval Station Durban|author=Leon Engelbrecht|work=defenceweb.co.za}}</ref> In December 2015 it was redesignated Naval Base Durban.<ref>{{cite news|first=Kim |last=Helfrich |url=http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=41760:minister-says-its-naval-base-durban-not-station&catid=111:sa-defence&Itemid=242 |title=Minister says it's Naval Base Durban, not Station |publisher=defenceWeb |date=2015-12-09 |access-date=2015-12-09}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page