Thousands of tourists have descended on the Maldives aboard two cruise ships, MS Norwegian Sky and MS Riviera, contributing to the ongoing influx of visitors this year.

On Sunday, the MS Norwegian Sky, registered in the Bahamas and carrying 1,872 passengers, arrived in Male. The ship, after a visit to two ports in Seychelles, is scheduled to depart Monday evening on its way to Phuket, Thailand. This marks the second cruise liner to arrive in the Maldives this season.

Meanwhile, the MS Riviera, registered in the Marshall Islands, arrived in Male on Monday with 2,004 passengers on board. Many tourists from the ship have already disembarked, and it is set to leave Male on Tuesday. Like the Norwegian Sky, MS Riviera also made a stop in Seychelles and will head next to Sri Lanka.

These cruise visits add to the record number of tourists visiting the Maldives this year, with total arrivals surpassing 2 million. Additionally, the volume of flights has increased by 8% compared to last year.