“We see our turnaround business growing from 2021 once the new cruise terminal is fully operational and we have projected an increase in transit calls, but this is down to more vessels in the Irish seas over the next years,” said Peter Murney, head of cruise and maritime operations at the Liverpool Cruise Terminal.
The port is expecting around 57 ships this year, with projections calling for 70 in 2019, he said.
Highlights include inaugural visits from vessels from Viking, Seabourn, AIDA and FTI. Overnight customers include the Celebrity Eclipse and Hapag-Lloyd’s Europa. There is also the return of the Disney Magic.
The new terminal facility is due to be completed sometime in 2020, Murney said and will be able to accommodate turnarounds from vessels with up to 3,600 guests.
“The Port of Liverpool has an area of shallow water which we are working with the port to dredge. With environmental issues we are looking at all green options when building the new terminal; this includes cold ironing and LNG,” he noted.
Liverpool Cruise Terminal helped to generate an economic impact of about £7m during the summer season after welcoming more than 100,000 passengers, according to the latest figures.
A report to go before the city council’s Culture, Tourism and Events Select Committee next week said 63 cruise liners visited, bringing 114,676 passengers and crew to Liverpool. Inaugural calls were made in 2016 by four different vessels, including two visits by the Disney Magic ship.
To coincide with second the Disney Magic visit, a free family-focused event was programmed comprising an outdoor cinema screen showing Disney films, a Victorian bandstand with performances and a firework finale for both passengers and spectators.
In 2017 – a year when Liverpool Cruise Terminal celebrates its tenth anniversary – there have already been 65 confirmed cruise calls, with more than 108,000 passengers and crew expected.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that plans are being drawn up to build a permanent cruise liner building. Liverpool City Council has identified the former Princes Jetty at Princes Parade, close to the landing stage, as a preferred location.
Video: Red Arrows fly over the three Queens in Liverpool
Three famous ocean liners have sailed together in Liverpool for the first time to mark Cunard’s 175th anniversary.
The Queen Mary 2, the Queen Victoria and the Queen Elizabeth saluted the city where Samuel Cunard began his transatlantic line in 1840.
Thousands of people lined the River Mersey to watch the “three queens” perform a synchronised sailing display.
As the fleet completed its manoeuvres, the Red Arrows performed a fly-past.
Captain Christopher Wells, who was at the helm of the Queen Mary 2, said it was a “very special weekend”.
“It allows us to celebrate our anniversary in the city where the company was founded.
“To have that celebration is very important not only to us, but also to the city,” he said.
The three Cunard Queens sailed on the River MerseyCrowds gathered at Crosby BeachAs the fleet completed its manoeuvres, the Red Arrows performed a fly-pastThe event celebrates the famous shipping line’s formation 175 years ago in its original home portThe display was part of a three-day celebration
The display was part of a three-day celebration, which ends on Tuesday, marking the company’s first transatlantic crossing from Liverpool.
Sir Samuel Cunard, who founded the service, sailed aboard the RMS Britannia to Boston on its maiden voyage on 4 July 1840.
The Cunard company revolutionised travel in the 19th Century with its steam ships which added speed and safety to journeys which had previously been made on less reliable sailing ships.
By the early part of the 20th Century, the company’s “big three” liners – Mauretania, Berengaria and Aquitania – were the primary means of passenger transport across the Atlantic
The shipping company moved its headquarters from the Cunard Building on Liverpool’s waterfront to Southampton in 1965.
Cunard at 175: Facts and figures
Since the first scheduled service across the Atlantic, Cunard ships have crossed and re-crossed the Atlantic, in peace and war, without fail every year
More than 109,000 bottles of red wine are consumed every year on board Queen Victoria
The annual sugar consumption on Queen Mary 2 is enough to make eight million scones
Wetravel2u's Weblog 