Fish suppers-a-plenty as largest cruise of year boosts harbourfront chippy
THE OWNER of a Lerwick fish and chip shop across the road from Victoria Pier says busy cruise ship days like yesterday (Monday) help to allow the business to stay open during quieter winter months.
A photo posted on social media showed Harrison Square packed with people waiting outside Da Harbour Chippy as the huge MSC Virtuosa called into Lerwick – the largest cruise ship of the year.
With more than 5,700 passengers on board, it resulted in a busy day in town.
It is fair to say Da Harbour Chippy is well placed for attracting the interest of passengers coming ashore at Victoria Pier.
Its owner Christena Irvine said it was “great day” for the shop, with around 165 fish suppers sold – while deep fried Mars Bars were also popular.
“It was very busy yesterday, but that’s normal for us now with large cruise ships,” she added.
“That ship had a lot more passengers than we expected with a final count of 5,792 plus crew.
“Having a few days like that during the summer really helps us to cover staying open for the locals through the quiet winter months.”
The MSC Virtuosa arrived in Lerwick from Southampton at around 7am yesterday, before heading off to Maloy just before tea-time.
She is 332 metres in length and is 181,000 gross tonnes.
Next up in Lerwick will be the Crystal Serenity, which will arrive from Bergen tomorrow with an estimated 1,140 passengers.
Having started in April, this year’s cruise season in Lerwick is to continue for a few months yet, with numbers tailing off in October.
The final entry on the list of Lerwick calls is a maiden visit from Le Commandant Charcot on 12 November, which marks something of a contrast to the larger vessels and only comes with an estimated 245 passengers.
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