Orkney welcomes first cruise ship since pandemic began

July 30, 2021 at 10:55 am

Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas is the first cruise liner to call in Orkney, since the pandemic began. (Orkney Photographic)

The first cruise liner to call in Orkney since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has arrived in Kirkwall, this Friday morning, carrying just over 1,000 passengers.

Orkney Islands Council’s (OIC) harbour master, Jim Buck, was pleased to welcome Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas. He is hopeful that the 40 callings scheduled for this year’s cruise season will bring a boost to the Orkney economy.

“I’m really pleased to welcome Anthem of the Seas in as the first cruise liner,” Mr Buck told The Orcadian, as staff at Hatston Pier prepared for passengers to disembark.

“It’s really good to be reopening the tourist industry, the cruise industry in Orkney.

“It’s going to be a slow start — there are only going to be bubble tours for this first visit. Bubble tours basically keep the cruise line customers in a small bubble. In this case it’s just buses, and they will go round and view the island from the bus.”

Full story in next week’s The Orcadian, available online and in shops from Wednesday afternoon.