Britain cruises to new record

The number of cruise ship departures form UK ports is expected to increase by three per cent this year, with regional destinations gaining business as well as familiar ports such as Southampton and Dover.
Figures compiled by CruiseBritain also show a rapid growth in the popularity of round-Britain cruises – the number will rise by 12 per cent to 120 departures this year, and is up a remarkable 70 per cent since 2010.
The total number of cruises departing from British shores will be 868, and they include voyages to New England and South America, as well as the more traditional destinations of the Caribbean, Baltic, and the Mediterranean.
Closer to home, the round-Britain cruises take passengers to a diverse selection of British and Irish ports including Falmouth, Guernsey, Tyne, Isles of Scilly, Kirkwall, Liverpool, Milford Haven and to Bristol, the newest CruiseBritain member. Bristol has also seen cruise ship departure turnarounds for the first time for 20 years.
Kate O’Hara, chair of CruiseBritain, said: “The continued strong growth in round-Britain cruises is testament to the diversity of destinations round our island; cruise ships of all sizes can visit a selection of ports within short sailing distances and cruise lines can be confident that passenger expectations will be met.”