Friday, October 30, 2015 - 10:57 by ce-press
The record for the largest cruise ship to visit Lerwick is set to be broken twice next year during what is expected to the best season so far at the Shetland port.
The harbour will be visited by P&O Cruises’ 115,055gt Azura on June 30 followed by Celebrity Cruises’ 122,210gt Celebrity Silhouette on August 14, with 3,096 and 2,886 passenger capacity respectively.
The number of calls is expected to reach 70 bringing about 50,925 passengers. Victor Sandison, the port authority’s senior commercial executive, said: "Bad weather at sea reduced arrivals, with a number of last-minute call-offs, including large vessels, which hit passenger numbers.”
The season was, however, extended at 48-hours’ notice on September 27 with the arrival of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ Hanseatic while en route from Akureyri, Iceland, to Kirkwall, Orkney, following a voyage to Greenland. She brought the season totals at Lerwick to 41 calls carrying 30,430 passengers. Sandison added: "In a highly competitive market, cruise operators are spoiled for choice and appear to be juggling different destinations in different years to refresh itineraries. It's definitely our turn next season - and 2017 is also already looking good, with 28 advance bookings so far and an estimated 31,000-plus passengers.”
The 2016 season is due to run from 24 April to 6 October, with June and July the busiest months, with 16 and 21 calls respectively. It will include ten maiden calls, including Viking Ocean Cruises’ new ships, Viking Sea and Viking Star.
Next season's numbers will mean a busy time for Lerwick’s meet & greet team who provide a warm welcome to passengers and crew including orientation leaflets and maps, traditional Shetland music on the quayside and a free shuttle bus service to-and-from the town centre for passengers on ships berthed at the port’s Holmsgarth facility.
