Thousands of tourists disembarking the colossal Costa Favolosa were given a truly warm welcome to Aberdeen.
The cruise ship docked with ease at the Port of Aberdeen’s South Harbour on Friday morning, with spectators gathering to watch.
The Costa Fabulosa is the largest cruise ship ever to dock in Port of Aberdeen in its 900-year history.
Passengers had travelled across the North Sea, visiting Greenland, Iceland and yesterday, Kirkwall.
The Deeside Caledonia Pipe Band and the Robert Gordon’s College Pipe Band were on the quayside to entertain the crowds while waiting for their transport into the city centre or out on an excursion.
The Press and Journal spoke to passengers as they disembarked from the ship into beautiful sunshine.
Some passengers were surprised at the beautiful weather, given the bad weather last night at Sea.
Jacqueline Bruegger is visiting from Switzerland with her husband and two daughters.
She said: “I am really looking forward to going into the city centre. It’s really great weather for it. There was lots of rain in Iceland, so this is a pleasant change.”
“We plan to visit Footdee, old Aberdeen and the city centre because we are very interested in history and love to look at old architecture.”
A ‘warm welcome’ into Aberdeen for the Costa Favolosa
Speaking about the welcome into Aberdeen, she added: “The pipers were fantastic. What a great welcome into Aberdeen.”
Gianmarco Gotti is also visiting from Switzerland with his wife son and two younger daughters.
They have really enjoyed the cruise so far and are most excited to visit Dunnottar Castle, as was suggested in a presentation on board the ship last night.
He said: “We really wanted to visit Iceland and Greenland and now we’re here in Scotland. For us, it’s about the history.
“The presentation last night suggested we go to Dunnottar Castle and so we are heading there this afternoon.”
The whole family had come prepared for the walk, decked out in their walking shoes.
VisitAberdeenshire volunteers were giving out maps and information on what people can do and see in the north-east.
Focal points included old Aberdeen, the city centre, Union Square, Footdee and the Aberdeen Maritime Museum.
Many passengers were booked to visit arguably Aberdeenshire’s most famous castle, Balmoral Castle.
David Zimmermann and his wife and daughter are on the planned excursion to Balmoral Castle and Royal Deeside.
They are very interested in the Royal Family and its history and couldn’t wait to visit the castle.
Alvaro Hernandez-Gil, with his wife and daughter, were on their first-ever cruise.
They are from Spain and were very surprised at the sunny weather in Aberdeen.
They loved the welcome they received with the pipe band and the music.
Costa Favolosa tourists surprised at Aberdeen weather
Kurt Neuberger, his wife Sonja and daughter Annika plan to visit Glen Garioch distillery given Kurt’s interest in whisky.
He said: “I am very much a whisky fan and so where else than Scotland to try some so it only seemed fitting we should visit a local distillery.”
His daughter Annika was surprised at the warm weather coming into Aberdeen having known of Scotland’s infamous rainy reputation.
“The weather is wonderful, very unexpected, it really is a warm welcome,” she joked.
The cruise ship industry is surging in the north-east and fast becoming an integral part of Aberdeen’s economy.
While the Costa Favolosa might be the biggest ship so far, it is certainly not the last, with more than 40 cruise ships still scheduled to dock in Aberdeen this year.
Conversation