Pier will be extended to cater for cruise ships longer than 340m and will open in 2017
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Portland Port is to extend its primary cruise berth this year.
One of three ports on the south coast of England that can already handle vessels up to 300m in length, Portland will start work on the new facility this spring to ensure it will be open in time for the 2017 season. The pier will be extended to accommodate vessels in excess of 340m in length.
“We are lucky to have minimum water depths of 9.6m on our main cruise berth, now with the berth extension we will be able handle ships in excess of 340m in length, putting us in a very unique group of ports along the English Channel,” said Ian McQuade, general commercial manager at Portland Port. “When we add this to our proximity to the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Stonehenge, Bath and the Jurassic Coast, along with easy access to the many attractions of the beautiful English countryside, we feel we will be very well positioned to continue to serve an ever increasing range of cruise line customers.”
This year, Portland will see a small dip in passenger numbers and ship calls, but it will host the inaugural visits of flagships from two cruise lines – TUI Cruises’ new Mein Schiff 5 and Holland America Line’s Koningsdam. Together, the vessels will bring around 5,000 passengers into Portland. Saga Holidays’ Saga Sapphire will also visit the port for the first time.
Returning customers will include regular visitors Holland America Line, Costa Cruises and Phoenix Reisen.
“Cruise visits are down across a number of UK ports for a variety of reasons,” said McQuade. “That said, 2017 is shaping up to be a good year with passenger numbers back to, and indeed, exceeding previous levels. We are continuing to work very hard at securing a promising future for Portland as a cruise destination.”