Port celebrates successful cruise liner season

LERWICK harbour is looking back on a record-breaking cruise liner season, which has come to a close on Thursday with the arrival of the 294-metre Norwegian Star.

The last visit of the season pushes up the visitor numbers to 43,056 exceeding the previous record of 37,572 (2012) by almost 15 per cent.

Lerwick Port Authority said the overall tonnage of the 49 vessels that visited was also up to a record 1,682,985 gross tonnes.

LPA deputy chief executive Victor Sandison said 2014 was the port’s best season yet.

And it could have been even better had poor conditions during August not forced three vessels to cancel their visits.

“The record figures for vessel tonnages and passengers are all the more pleasing as the weather-related cancellations prevented us achieving the record-equalling number of 52 cruise ship arrivals,” he said.

The season included nine maiden calls and a return by the 114,288 tonne Costa Pacifica, the largest cruise ship yet at the port.

Sandison added that already 46 vessels were booked for next year and 11 calls were scheduled for 2016.