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Lerwick harbour to welcome first ship of the year ahead of busiest cruise season yet

There are currently 149 vessels booked in to visit the port by mid-November.

Ambition
Ambition will be the first cruise ship of the year to dock in Lerwick harbour.

Lerwick harbour will welcome its first cruise ship of the year this weekend.

Ambition, operated by British-based Ambassador Cruise Line, is on an 11-night Easter British Isles discovery voyage.

The 708ft vessel was built in 1999 and refitted last year. It has a passenger capacity of 1,200.

She is due to return a further four times to Mair’s Pier East in the summer.

Lerwick harbour is full of Ambition

Ambition will be the first of many to dock at Lerwick harbour, where bosses are expecting its busiest cruise season ever.

There are currently 149 cruise ships booked to visit between this weekend and mid-November.

They will carry an estimated 130,000 passengers and add up to 6.9 million gross tons.

The current record at the harbour, set last year, saw 129 cruise ships visit the port — carrying 123,903 passengers.

Lerwick Port Authority cruise and marketing manager Melanie Henderson. Image: Lerwick Port Authority

Lerwick Port Authority (LPA) cruise and marketing manager Melanie Henderson said: “The cruise industry’s contribution to Shetland’s tourism sector continues to go from strength to strength.

“The number of ships arriving significantly contributes to the local economy, providing employment, keeping the attractions and venues busy, and providing important footfall for local businesses.

“We are looking forward to another great season, working alongside everyone involved to host guests from all over the world to experience our local hospitality and all that Shetland has to offer.”

A total of 11 cruise ships will make their maiden calls to the harbour.

They include MSC Virtuosa, which will become the port’s largest cruise ship to date when it calls in May.

MSC Meraviglia behind the “lodberries” on the waterfront in Lerwick. Image: John Coutts/Lerwick Port Authority

At 181,541 gross tons, it can carry up to 6,000 passengers.

The record for the largest cruise vessel to visit Lerwick so far is held by MSC Meraviglia.

Tipping the scales at around 167,600 gross tons, she called in 2018.

LPA provides a meet-and-greet service to welcome passengers when they first step ashore in Shetland.

The service also includes shuttle buses to and from Lerwick town centre and special welcomes for maiden calls.

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