A gangway cannot only be one way

The need for ports and destinations to work together as one and liaise with the cruiselines has never been more key.

On berth allocation, Dunnett said: “I think itineraries should not be produced in a vacuum by a cruiseline. You don’t need to tell us who is in port but, for example, the size of the ship.”

She also made a plea for more transparency and less promises of things which cannot be delivered: “At the end of the day the guests’ experience has to be number one and, as port citizens, you have to have a good experience too. You need to let us know how many passengers you can manage.”

Justin Poulsen, vp itinerary planning & destination development Silversea Cruises, added: “We want to make sure that the business we do in a community is good for it. We know we create economic benefits but also that a lot goes out [side], so we want to make sure it stays in community.”

And Dunnett advised that answering back the naysayers could be helpful: “People need to understand where all the money goes which comes from the cruiseships. Communicate to your communities what money has been spent where, for example, on school buildings.”