Lerwick expects 100,000 cruise passengers by year’s end
Some 145 cruise calls carrying a combined 100,000 passengers are scheduled at Lerwick, Scotland by the end of the cruise season.
If the numbers hold, it will make 2023 the destination’s busiest year to date.
Not only is Lerwick continuing to make a strong comeback – above pre-COVID-19 levels – but the destination said the volume of repeat visits and first-time arrivals reflect the popularity of Lerwick and Shetland as a destination, which helps support the island’s important tourism network.
The number of passengers and the overall 6.5m gross tonnage that the ships represent will be record highs for Lerwick, the main town and port of the Shetland archipelago.
AIDA, Fred. Olsen, Ponant and Viking
The first cruise ship to call will be National Geographic Explorer on March 2, with AIDAluna making the final call October 11.
Viking will be the most frequent caller of 2023, with 19 visits scheduled. AIDA Cruises will make 16 calls, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, nine and Ponant, 12.
The largest ship will be Norwegian Cruise Line's 145,655gt Norwegian Getaway on September 23.
21 maiden calls
This year will see 21 maiden calls, including by Swan Hellenic’s SH Diana and Scenic’s Scenic Eclipse II. New brand Explora Journeys will also visit Lerwick this season with its first ship, Explora I. Ambassador Cruise Line’s second ship, Ambition, will also call.
Tall Ships Races a highlight for cruise passengers
A bonus for passengers arriving 26-29 July will be the spectacle of sailing vessels participating in the international Tall Ships Races. Six cruise ships will call during this period, with three in a single day on one occasion.
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