Guernsey is set to welcome 96 cruise calls during 2019, meaning Guernsey could welcome potentially over 170,000 visitors and crew ashore this year.
It’s a busy start to the year with nine calls scheduled for April. The season includes 5 inaugural calls including Saga’s Spirit of Discovery on her maiden voyage, Cruise & Maritime’s new Vasco Da Gama and Hapag Lloyds’s brand new expedition ship, Hanseatic Inspiration.
Coming back are some regular friends including Princess Cruises’ the Sapphire Princess and her sister, the Crown Princess, for an amazing twelve calls, accounting for over 36,000 passengers between them both.
The prestigious Cunard line are also calling again with the ‘three Queens’ to Guernsey this season, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria, and Queen Mary 2.
Deputy Dawn Tindall, member of the Committee for Economic Development said: “Britain has witnessed phenomenal growth as a cruise destination, with an average annual growth of 17%. Much of this is down to the growth in Round British Isle cruises, especially amongst Americans, where Guernsey is included in many itineraries and recognised as a key destination, as evidenced by Cruise Critic UK Editors Picks award which Guernsey was proud to receive again in 2018, making it the fourth such award since 2015.”
She continued: “The cruise market has continued to be one of the priorities of VisitGuernsey and has received positive commitment from the cruise industry for 2019, 2020 and 2021. An objective for VisitGuernsey is to encourage cruise passengers to return for holidays and longer visits. In 2018, 2.7% or just under 5,000 of those who had visited Guernsey previously said in the Visitor Exit Survey 2018 that they had visited on a cruise ship. We want to encourage more to return and key to this is ensuring our cruise visitors have an unforgettable time in Guernsey with land-based visits on the island.”
New excursions and tours are on offer this year such ‘High Cliffs & High Spirits’, ‘West Coast Wheels’ and The Potato Peel Pie – themed guided coach tour, and excursions to the sister islands of Sark, and Herm all helping to showcase a unique offering.
An enhancement of the ‘Welcome’ passengers receive which sees a team of local residents greeting passengers ashore has also been enhanced further for the season to ensure an even flow of passengers into the town helping to alleviate any possible congestion.
Harbour master David Barker said: “We at Guernsey Harbours have worked hard to ensure that our cruise guests can move as smoothly as possible from ship to shore and back. Wehope that they will enjoy a taste of our beautiful Harbour and Island.”
Parking arrangements will be the same as last season with the red light arm on the Albert Pier closed on ship days with the aim to open as quickly as possible on smaller ship days.
Full details of parking arrangements can be found on www.gov.gg/cruiseseason2019