Cruise Britain and Cruise Ireland are proud to announce a landmark partnership between the two associations. Aimed at fostering collaboration and driving growth, it was signed at Seatrade Cruise Global with the support of the British and Irish Consul-Generals.

The approach to promote Britain, Ireland and the wider British Isles as a ‘cruising region’ aims to harness the further growth potential of the cruise tourism sector with itineraries that offer world renowned experience and attractions all within short sailing distances.

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Cowes Harbour, the cruise gateway to the idyllic Isle of Wight, a UNESCO Biosphere, has created a new cruise-centric programme for 2024 and beyond. Bilingual uniformed ambassadors welcome all cruise guests with a complimentary map of the Island and Cowes, with QR codes to a new visitor-focused website and user-friendly web app.

A dedicated Cowes team member is ‘here to help’ cruise companies with excursion planning, destination and transport contacts plus local knowledge of the Island. With our local community fully supporting cruise ships visits, we are also exploring the potential to create a specific cruise ship anchorage for Cowes.

app.cowes.co.uk

Improvements are being made to the tendering and disembarkation process where the Welcome team greets passengers in St Peter Port; clearer signage and widening the walkway to ensure an even flow of passengers into town, helping to alleviate any possible congestion. Plus additional seating at the tender arrival area and a new waiting area for those passengers looking to use Petit Train, Tuk Tuks and Land Rover tours.

All these improvements are helping to maintain quality port services and professional handling arrangements as well as ensuring the warm welcome for each cruise passenger that the island prides itself on providing.

International Friends have announced three new day trips for guests to enjoy from London for 2024.

• Champagne Reception & Semi Private Tour of Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter available every Friday from February 2024.
•  Oxford, Cotswolds & Country Pub lunch available every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday & Sunday from March 2024.
•  Wine Tasting in the Garden of England at Gusbourne Winery available every Wednesday & Friday from April 2024.

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Cruise Critic named two Cruise Britain member ports in their 15th Annual Editors’ Picks Awards. Belfast Harbour took home Best UK & Ireland Port of Call and Port of Dover won Best UK Departure Port. Quite the accolades from the world’s leading cruise reviews site and online cruise community.

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Buoyed by the 2023 opening of South Harbour, the Port of Aberdeen is gearing up to welcome over 100 cruise ships annually by 2027, promising a major economic boost for local businesses and communities.

The number of cruise calls has grown by over 130% since 2022, rising from 21 to more than 50 in 2024. This has increased guest numbers from around 3,000 up to 34,000 expected this year, supported by the arrival of larger ships at the new Aberdeen South Harbour.

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Poole Harbour Commissioners has been successful in its application to the Local Industrial Decarbonisation Plans Funding Competition run by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero in collaboration with Innovate Uk – UK Research and Innovation. The maritime industrial cluster has been awarded a share of £6m funding.

The project will develop an ambitious Decarbonisation Plan for the Port with a clear roadmap and targets for reducing carbon emissions. PHC will be working in collaboration with 7 other partners including maritime consultants Royal Haskoning DHV.

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Wales won many awards last year and was featured in Conde Nast’s global list of places to go as well as on a list of 13 exciting UK destinations. They also named Conwy Castle as one of the most beautiful castles in Europe. Other awards include Cardigan in Time Out’s top three Best UK Places to Visit and Rough Guides has announced their list of the best destinations to visit that includes Pembrokeshire. The World Media Group announced Cymru Wales as the Grand Prix winner of the 2023 World Media Awards.

2023 World Media Awards

Portland Port welcomed its first cruise ship of 2024 when the AIDAsol arrived on 19th February. The call marked the start of an 11-month long season with 47 vessel visits and 110,000 passengers.

Portland Port undertook its largest infrastructure project to date in October 2022, investing £26m on its deep-water-berth which, since April 2023, has allowed the port to welcome larger vessels, including ships up to 350m in length on opposite berths on the same day. Ian McQuade said: “We’re looking forward to another superb year sharing the delights of our area with tourists from around the world whilst supporting the growth of the local economy.”

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2024 brings a surge in cruise tourism for Plymouth, with bookings up by 40%; 10 out of 14 vessels expected this year are newcomers. Exciting developments include upgrades to Millbay Dock, enhancing berthing and passenger amenities as well as facility upgrades to the Barbican landing stage.

Spring holds the arrival of the Observation Wheel on Plymouth Hoe, promising breathtaking views; summer brings the expanded Plymouth Summer Sessions. Attractions like the National Marine Aquarium (recently featured on BBC), Plymouth Gin Distillery and The Box ensure year-round excitement. Notably, the British Firework Championships captivate crowds in August, consolidating Plymouth as a premier destination.

Early in the year, Inchcape Shipping Services welcomed AIDAmar on her maiden call to Portsmouth, which was especially fitting as this is the location of our newest port agency office and was the birthplace of VP Cruise & Superyacht Sector, Grant Holmes!

Looking ahead, Inchcape anticipates handling more than 100 port calls this year for AIDA and Costa from Portland, Dover, and Portsmouth on the south coast to Kirkwall in Orkney and from Fishguard in far West Wales to Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the east of England.