First cruise ship of the season arrives in Orkney
(Picture: Craig Taylor)
On a fine morning with flat calm seas and blue skies, the first cruise liner to arrive in the 2016 season berthed at Hatston Pier this morning.
The Magellan, owned by CMV cruises has a maximum passenger capacity of 1800 passengers is a regular caller to Kirkwall, and is currently on an itinerary of the north Atlantic region.
This season, Orkney has 113 port calls booked from a range of cruise shipping with the largest liner being the Caribbean Princess with a capacity of 3599 passengers to the smallest liner being the Hebridean Princess with 50 passengers.
Stromness will receive 16 port calls this season, and the number of ships arriving in Kirkwall are fairly evenly split between berthing at Hatston Pier, and those either tendering into Kirkwall Pier or berthing alongside.
Meet and Greet Services for all of the port calls will be conducted by Sam and Mike Berston of M&S hospitality Services Ltd, and J&V Coaches operated by Vega and Jimmy Poke will be providing the shuttle bus service between Hatston Pier and the Kirkwall Travel Centre.
Orkney remains the most popular cruise ship destination in the UK, and as the season gets underway, there are already 113 port calls pre-booked for the 2017 season.
The last call of the 2016 season will be the Black Watch on the December 30, enroute to Edinburgh for the Hogmanay celebrations.
On August 10, Orkney will receive its 1500th port call and 750,00th passenger since records began in 1992, with the arrival of the Black Watch cruise ship at Hatston.
A day of events are being planned to celebrate this maritime tourism milestone says OIC Marine Services.
