27 February, 2008

LERWICK harbour will break records in the next two years with the arrival of the three largest cruise ships it has ever handled.

The 295 metre, 93,502 gross tonne Norwegian Jewel, expected on 19 September with about 2,300 passengers on board, will be the largest ever liner to visit Lerwick.

Advanced bookings already show this record will be broken twice in 2009, first by the 102,587 gross tonne Costa Magica on 16 July, and then again by the Crown Princess, weighing in at a massive 113,651 gross tonnes on 9 September.

Next year will also see the 1000th visit by a cruise vessel to the isles and it is hoped that the highest annual tonnage of cruise ships will be achieved.

To raise the profile of the harbour as an international cruise ship destination Lerwick Port Authority will release a promotional DVD at the Miami Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention, in Florida, from 10 to13 March.

LPA chief executive Sandra Laurenson said: “Bookings for this year and next are very encouraging, as is the fact that we are continuing to attract new and larger vessels.

“The port authority is actively marketing the harbour’s modern facilities including deep-water anchorages, improved tender transfer and berthing in the town centre, alongside the islands’ many attractions.”

This year is the 80th anniversary of cruise vessels visiting the port with 43 ships currently heading for Shetland between May and September carrying more than 20,000 passengers.

The first visit by a cruise ship on record was on 17 July 1928 when the 675 tonne Mira arrived from Orkney with 112 passengers on board before heading for Faroe and Iceland.