Nairobi, Jan. 28 -- After two days at sea, the luxurious MV Crystal Symphony cruise ship docked at Mahe port in Seychelles at 8am, carrying an estimated 600 passengers, Kenyans among them.

But what made this voyage special was not just the popping of the champagne or the sea breeze.

For the first time, Kenyans did not need to fly to Europe or South Africa to begin their cruise holiday. The journey began at home; a drive or a 45-minute flight from Nairobi to Mombasa was all it took to step aboard.

The sail from Mombasa as a 'start' marked a historic shift. For decades, Mombasa had served merely as a brief stopover for Crystal Symphony and many other international cruise liners, but this time around, it was a 'start' for 13 nights toward...