The arrival of the Silver Explorer opened the 2016 cruise season at Aberdeen Harbour.
In total, 24 cruise ships – a record for the port - will berth in Aberdeen between May and August, up from 13 the previous year and just eight in 2014.
The Silver Explorer is a purpose-built luxury expedition cruise ship, specifically designed for navigating waters in some of the world’s most remote destinations. With just under 90 passengers on board from as far afield as Australia and Japan, the 6,072 tonne liner docked in Aberdeen on 20 May. Passengers disembarked onto an upgraded quayside, with a newly acquired covered walkway, before heading on to enjoy various day trips across Aberdeen City and Shire, including tours of Balmoral and Royal Deeside, the Glenfiddich Distillery and Aberdeen City Gardens.
The cruise industry has seen incredible growth in recent times, with reported global passenger numbers exceeding 22 million in 2015. Last year, some 290,000 passengers visited East coast destinations, such as Lerwick, Orkney and Invergordon.
Chief executive of Aberdeen Harbour, Colin Parker said: “With 24 cruise ships due to visit Aberdeen this year, it is clear that our region has much to offer the industry. We have been working closely with Cruise Scotland to highlight Aberdeen City and Shire as a key destination, and with the growth in cruise calls in recent years it is clear this message is getting through.”
The potential of the cruise market is one of the key arguments for the proposed expansion of Aberdeen Harbour into Nigg Bay. The economic impact of tourism attached to the cruise market is considerable, so the longer and deeper quays that the development would provide could see Aberdeen City and Shire benefiting from much larger vessels calling into port.
“Due to the vessel size limitations in the existing port, the larger cruise ships sail past Aberdeen. Of the 290,000 visitors to Scottish ports last year, Aberdeen Harbour received only 1,000 - so this is a major opportunity that is sailing past us every day,” continued Colin Parker. “The proposed facilities at Nigg Bay would allow vessels of up to 300 metres long to visit Aberdeen, injecting significant sums into the local and regional economies, and providing more local jobs. We believe that this is the very kind of diversification that Aberdeen City and Shire needs to attract if we are to remain commercially vibrant for future generations.”