UK’s best cruise port plans expansion

Southampton is not the only British cruise port with expansion plans. Just a day after the announcement of its new £30 million terminal comes an announcement of planned development several hundred miles further north.
Kirkwall, capital of the Orkney islands, is hoping to build on its selection as the UK’s best port of call in this year’s Cruise Critic Editor’s Pick Awards and plans to spend £8 million improving its facilities for visiting ships.
The town’s Hatston Pier is to be extended from 250 yards to 415 yards, allowing some of the biggest ships in the world to tie up alongside instead of having to anchor in the bay and carry passengers ashore by tender.
The work, for which the Orkney Islands Council has applied for European Regional Development funding, will also contribute to the town’s growing wave and renewable energy projects.
This year’s record number of 70 cruise ship calls brought an estimated 26,000 passengers to the island, worth about £2 million to the local economy. There are 65 ships already booked in for 2011, and more are expected.
Michael Morrison, marine services business development manager at Orkney Islands Council, said: “Our mission is to ensure that our cruise ships and passengers have a hassle-free, rewarding experience.”
Other developments are in hand as Orkney prepares to host the international Cruise in Company leg of The Tall Ships Races 2011 event next Jul, including a growing team of guides, smartphone ‘apps’ technology, and a quayside meet and greet service.