Portland gets a boost as cruise ship 'Norwegian Dawn' pulls in
Portland Port and the surrounding area was boosted when cruise ship the 'Norwegian Dawn' dropped anchor for a longer than expected stay due to poor weather.
The ship, which is a regular visitor to the port, docked with 2,360 guests aboard at the new £26 million deep water berth the evening before her scheduled day-long visit.
Bill Reeves, the chief executive of Portland Port, said: "The Norwegian Dawn is always a very welcome visitor to the port.
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"One of the secrets of success in the growth of our cruise business is to be as accommodating and flexible as we can be for our customers.
"Praise must go to our staff and suppliers for their quick response to make arrangement for the Norwegian Dawn’s arrival and shuttle bus transport for its passengers.
"On the evening of arrival about half of the ship’s passengers headed off to Weymouth to enjoy the pubs and restaurants or sample the local fish and chips, and their arrival would have provided an unexpected economic boost for many catering, hospitality and related businesses in the area."
He added: "We look forward to many more cruise calls during the second part of the season in a record breaking year for the port."
Cruise calls at the port are estimated to contribute around £10 million to the local economy.
A busy schedule will continue this year over a record-breaking season for the Dorset port when ships carrying more than 130,000 passengers will visit - up 23% on last year.
Typically, half of visiting cruise guests go on organised excursions, the majority of which stay in Dorset.
Most of the remaining passengers explore the local area using the port’s complimentary shuttle bus service, either choosing to stay on Portland or travel into Weymouth.
In April this year, Portland Port welcomed the MSC Virtuosa with a record 5,000 passengers, the greatest number of guests on any single vessel visiting so far.
It was also the first cruise call at the port’s newly developed deep-water berth.
The port employs 53 people and has a number of tenants, including cargo businesses, which provide jobs for more than 250 people.
Portland Port employs 53 people and has a number of tenants, including cargo businesses, which provide jobs for more than 250 people.
