By
Laura Hyde |
The English city of Plymouth expects to welcome over 10,000 cruise passengers in 2024, following a 40 per cent increase in bookings from 2023.
The port city has 14 cruise ships already confirmed to call this year, including several ships which will visit for the first time. Ambassador Cruise Line’s ships, Ambition and Ambience, will make maiden calls in April and June respectively.
Other ships calling at Plymouth for the first time in 2024 include Seabourn’s expedition vessel, Seabourn Venture, Exploris Cruises’ Exploris One, Windstar Cruises’ Star Legend and Ponant Cruises’ Le Dumont d’Urville.
Cruise ships returning to the port include: Silversea Cruises’ Silver Dawn and Silver Spirit, Oceania Cruises’ Oceania Sirena, Seabourn’s Seabourn Sojourn, and German operator Phoenix Reisen’s vessels, Artania, Amadea and Amera.
Phoenix Reisen’s Amera will return to Plymouth in 2024
The port will welcome the first cruise ship in April and has bookings scheduled monthly until October, with cruise lines from the UK, USA, Germany and France represented. It also has more visits in the pipeline for 2024 and is receiving enquiries for 2025 and 2026.
Plymouth has been visited by seafarers, adventurers and explorers for centuries
Cruise guests will be greeted by Cruise Plymouth Ambassador volunteers and the town crier and will be able to watch performances of Plymouth Maritime Corps of Drums. The welcome experience is supported by Plymouth Waterfront Partnership.
“Plymouth, ‘Britain’s Ocean City’, has been working hard to cement our reputation as a must-see port of call and a great many people are busy behind the scenes to make these cruise visits a huge success,” said Amanda Lumley, Destination Plymouth’s chief executive. “We’re delighted to say the city has already achieved a reputation within the industry as one of the most welcoming ports for cruise ship visits. One passenger from Saga Cruises’ Spirit of Discovery said that, having been on over 50 cruises around the world, the welcome provided in Plymouth was ‘one of the best’ they had seen.”