The 2022 season commences April 5 with the arrival of Viking Venus and its 900 passengers and 460 crew members. The ship is one of 21 maiden calls, including Princess Cruises’ Emerald Princess in May carrying 3,300 passengers, the largest ship set to visit Cromarty Firth this year.
Busiest day
July 25 is expected to be the busiest day for the port when, for the first time, three cruise ships use its docking facilities: TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 3, Vantage Travel's Ocean Odessy and AIDA Cruises’ AIDAsol will bring a combined total of nearly 5,000 passengers and around 1,600 crew.
‘After everything that has happened over the past couple of years, it’s fantastic to be anticipating a record-breaking cruise season on the Cromarty Firth again,’ remarked Bob Buskie, chief executive, Port of Cromarty Firth.
‘These ships will bring around 200,000 tourists from the UK and around the world to the [Scottish] Highlands this year, playing a crucial role in creating and supporting jobs in a number of areas, including tour guides, shipping agents, ground handling staff, transport providers, pipers and the employees of local distilleries, golf clubs and the hospitality industry.’
The season will be longer than in previous years, drawing to a close October 9 with Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Dawn carrying 2,500 passengers and 1,100 crew members.
Good news for local businesses
Port of Cromarty Forth, Cruise Manager Alison McGuire described the cruise season ahead as ‘really good news for businesses and communities across the Highlands which have had such a tough time during the pandemic.’ She said, ‘It’s very exciting to once again be looking forward to a full and busy cruise season here. Up until 2020, we had seen a steady increase in the number of cruise passengers visiting Invergordon and it’s good to see a return to that after two highly challenging years for the industry and the many businesses that benefit from it.’
The cruise industry is estimated to contribute approximately £18m each year to the Scottish Highland economy. In 2019, a record total of 103 vessels and 167,000 passengers visited Cromarty Firth.
Managing passenger flow
As part of measures to alleviate traffic congestion in Invergordon, work is currently underway on two new lay-bys for coach pick-ups and drop-offs for calling cruise ships. A pedestrian crossing has also been installed at the entrance to the port.
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