Harwich International Port gets busy cruise season off to a start

Costa Crociere’s, 1,504-cabin Costa Pacifica kicks off the new season today. As well as Costa, Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Thomson Cruises, Voyages of Discovery and Saga Cruises are amongst those lines returning this year.

Another regular customer Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is deploying 929-passenger vessel, Braemar out of Harwich for the first time on May 13, 2014 followed by three further turnaround calls in May and June. Saga Cruises and Noble Caledonia both also have inaugural calls in May and August. AIDA Cruises will make its first ever call with AIDAstella on May 7, transiting en route to Hamburg. 

Commenting on the 2014 cruise programme, Clemence Cheng, ceo of Hutchison Ports (UK) Limited, owners of Harwich International Port, said: ‘Harwich continues to be one of the major UK ports for cruise and ferry tourism. Its excellent transport links to Cambridge and London, and its proximity to Constable Country and historic Harwich, offers visitors an array of things to see and do.’

Cruise & Maritime Voyages’ Astor ends its lengthy 40 night cruise spanning Australia, Mauritius, South Africa, Canary Islands, Portugal, France and many others along the way in Harwich on May 11, 2014.