By
Rebecca Gibson |
Cruise traffic in Wales has increased 34% over the past two years and is projected to increase by a further 10% in 2015.
Wales has six cruise ports including Newport, Swansea, Cardiff, Milford Haven, Pembroke, Fishguard and Holyhead. Last year, the country’s cruise market generated £2.4 million, which is set to rise again by the end of 2014.
In 2015, the country’s ports are set to welcome more than 30 cruise calls from the UK, Germany, US, Canada and France. One of the largest ships scheduled to make her maiden call at Holyhead is Celebrity Cruises’ 3,200-guest Celebrity Silhouette. Luxury ships from Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises will make a total of four calls at Holyhead next year, while Ponant Cruises’ Le Boréal will also visit. In addition, the all-suite ship Corinthian, owned by US operator Travel Dynamics, will make four calls at both Holyhead and Fishguard.
Several brands from All Leisure Group will sail to various Welsh ports next year. While Voyages of Discovery’s Voyager will sail to Holyhead, Swan Hellenic’s Minerva will call as part of a joint project with The National Trust, and Hebridean Island Cruises’ Hebridean Princess – which is sometimes chartered by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II – to Cardiff.
“This is an incredibly important development in Wales’ cruise agenda and operators are beginning to realise how much we can offer cruise passengers,” said Suzanne Thomas, manager at Cruise Wales. “This year we have already welcomed more than 20,000 cruise passengers to Wales and we have initiated special workshops and training to ensure that we can deliver new and exciting products for cruise passengers, as well as providing the cruise lines themselves with the facilities they need.”
To cater ensure it can cater for the country’s growing cruise industry, Cruise Wales recently visited colleges in South Wales to speak to more than 300 students about entry level hospitality positions on a five-star cruise line. These will continue in the New Year.
The German Ambassador linguistic guide training will also be held in West Wales next year to ensure that Wales can provide German speakers for the cruise lines calling at Fishguard and Milford Haven in 2016.