Friday, June 20, 2014 - 18:59 by ce-press
On May 27, Stornoway hosted three calls with Le Boreal, Marco Polo and Funchal calling. This year 40 calls are booked with 12,000 passengers expected, quite a leap from the 9,500 visiting in 2010.
Stornoway’s chief executive Jane Maciver commented: “Increasing the number of cruise visits to the islands is something that benefits the whole island economy in the long term. Two thousand and ten saw 9,500 passengers landing in Stornoway. That represents 9,500 people who might not otherwise have come to the islands, therefore 9,500 opportunities to give someone enough of a taste of what is available in the Hebrides to persuade them that they should come back for a longer visit in future.”
All passengers are given maps by cruise ambassadors on arrival with port authority representatives always on hand to give any assistance required. The restaurants, bars, art galleries and shops are all within a short walk of the pier.
Visits to all World Heritage sites can be arranged on half- or full-day tours with multilingual tour guides available. Year-round art, music and festivals are attracting more visitors every year.
