Unscheduled cruise calls at the UK’s Portland Port over the summer have boosted the local economy by £750,000 thus far.
Five cruise ships – including the ’Queen Mary 2’ – have visited the port located in Dorset, at late notice as they were unable to call at ports elsewhere.
Ambassador Line’s ‘Ambience’, Princess Cruises’ ‘Regal Princess’ and SAGA’s ‘Spirit of Adventure’ also made last minute calls.
The latest diverted cruise ship to visit was Germany’s Plantours Kreuzfahrten’s ‘Hamburg’ with 360 passengers. This was the first time the cruise line had used Portland.
More than 8,500 pax have arrived on the additional ships from mid-May to July, as the port – and its Dorset hinterland – becomes established as a ‘go to’ destination on the cruise map.
Based on the Cruise Lines Industry Association (CLIA) figures, these stops were worth in the region of £750,000 to the local economy.
Ian McQuade, General Manager Commercial and Chair of Cruise Britain, said: “It is always a pleasure to welcome cruise ships on unscheduled visits. The unscheduled calls total five to date this year, out of 10 enquiries.
“They reflect the area’s increasing popularity for cruise calls and represent a further valuable boost of circa £750,000 for the local hospitality and tourism industry.
“Our location, new deepwater berths, which allow the largest cruise ships to moor alongside and our reputation for pulling out the stops to accommodate visiting vessels, make the port an attractive proposition for cruise lines on both scheduled and unscheduled visits.
“Our thanks go to our dedicated and responsive team, including our contracted shuttle bus operators and welcome team, who have been able to help us accommodate the unscheduled ships and their passengers at very short notice,” he said.
Cruise lines divert to Portland after being unable to enter their destination ports for various reasons, including weather conditions or industrial action.
For example, ‘Queen Mary 2’ was on a short cruise of French and Belgian ports when she was diverted to Portland, due to strikes in Le Havre, France.
McQuade added: “The feedback we have had is that the crew and passengers on the ‘Queen Mary 2’ were very happy with their visit which coincided with the popular Wessex Folk Festival on Weymouth harbourside.
“Although she has been to the port before, during Covid, this was her first transit visit and the first by a Cunard ship. It represented another milestone in the development of the port’s cruise business and its support for local businesses and the supply chain,” he said.
Portland Port’s cruise calls bring in around £10 mill per year to the local economy, based on CLIA’s statistics for spend per head of passenger, including in shops, bars, cafes and tourism attractions along with transport and tours.
Portland Port expects to have welcomed 50 ships carrying more than 110,000 pax by the end of this year.
