Luxury and specialist cruise ships have been among a record number of vessels calling at the UK’s Portland Port for the first time this year.
Twelve vessels have paid their first visits with one more due by the end of the year, carrying more than 14,000 passengers. Including ships’ crew, this has contributed more than £1.25 mill to the local economy.
Overall, Portland’s cruise business contributes about £10 mill to the local economy annually, according to industry figures.
Two cruise lines – Silversea and Albatros Expeditions – have utilised Portland for the first time.
Ian McQuade, Portland Port’s Commercial General Manager and Chair of Cruise Britain, said: “We have been fortunate to welcome more ships making their inaugural calls at Portland.
“Some have been from cruise lines with whom we have established strong and supportive relationships over a number of years, while others have been from lines choosing Portland for the first time.
“It is also encouraging to see the growth of calls by specialist luxury and expedition ships, which demonstrates the increasingly popularity of the area as a destination for a wide range of passengers.
“It is also a resounding vote of confidence in the hard work, investment and time that goes into the growth and diversification of the port’s cruise business.
“It has been a successful cruise season so far and we look forward to a strong finish to the year,” he said.
Luxury cruise line Silversea sent three ships to Portland out of a total of six calls this year: ‘Silver Spirit’, ‘Silver Dawn’ and ‘Silver Shadow’.
Other ships to visit for the first time were Albatros Expeditions’ ‘Ocean Albatros’, ‘AIDAluna’, ‘Le Boreal’, ‘Carnival Miracle’, ‘Europa 2,’ ‘Ambition’, ‘Seven Seas Grandeur’, ‘Norwegian Jewel’ and ‘Viking Vela’.
As well as ‘Ocean Albatros’, other luxury expedition ships to call have include Ponant’s ‘Le Boreal’ and the ‘Hebridean Princess’, which carries just 50 guests.
‘Viking Vela’, from luxury line Viking Ocean Cruises, was among five unscheduled calls so far this year, which have materialised from a record-equalling 18 enquiries.
With deepwater berths, flexibility and a positive attitude, the port has gained a reputation for being able to welcome ships diverted at short notice from their original destination, due to factors such as weather or industrial action.
A total of 64 ships carrying more than 100,000 passengers are due to have called at Portland by the end of this year with 11 on the cruise calendar in October and November.
The port has also hosted familiarisation trips for representatives from Fred.Olsen, Silversea, Princess and Windstar cruise lines to promote the area and its attractions to attract more ships to the area.
The £10 mill that cruise calls bring into the local economy annually is based on statistics from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) for spend per head of passenger and includes expenditure in shops, bars, cafes, tourism attractions along with transport and tours.
In addition, further expenditure comes from the crew that are given time off when in port along with berthing revenues through the port itself and businesses in the local supply chain.
Typically, about 50% of visiting cruise guests go on organised excursions, the majority of which stay in Dorset.
Most of the remaining passengers explore the local area using the port’s complimentary shuttle bus service, either choosing to stay on Portland or travel into Weymouth. Some also use taxis to travel to and from Portland to Weymouth and local destinations.
Activities for passengers on ‘Ocean Albatross’ included a Jurassic Coast walk and a visit to Stonehenge. Guests on these expedition ships are also more likely to visit RSPB nature reserves and take part in beach cleans.
The port opened a £26 mill deepwater berth in 2023, allowing it to welcome larger vessels, including ships up to 350 m in length on opposite berths on the same day.
The UK cruise business continues to develop, including Portland. Cruise Britain, which promotes the UK as a cruise destination, including Portland Port, and Cruise Ireland were jointly awarded Destination of the Year at the 2025 Seatrade Cruise Awards in September.
This marks the first time that the British Isles as a combined cruise entity has bid for an internationally recognised travel honour and is testament to the increasing strength of the relationship supporting the British Isles cruising region.
