Falmouth Harbour in Cornwall has reported a record cruise season which brought an estimated £4m to £6m into the local economy.
A total of 44 visits were made between April and October, up from 29 in 2022. September was the busiest month with 11 cruise calls, including a visit from the 131m luxury cruise ship, Le Champlain, operated by the French line Ponant.
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Bosses at the harbour said the cruise traffic had provided “a welcome boost” to footfall for local businesses, adding that many of the calls had taken place outside the traditional holiday period. They added that they were expecting 2024 to be “even busier” with more than 50 cruise ships already scheduled to visit.
Falmouth Harbour chief executive Miles Carden said: “The popularity of cruise is growing and this year has proven that Falmouth Harbour can accommodate a full range of cruise ships, working closely with Cruise Britain and port partners including A&P Falmouth and with our outstanding Pilotage provision ensuring vessels can berth or anchor safely and on time.
“We want these ships and their passengers to have the very best experience here and to come back. The value to Falmouth and Cornwall is immense: with an estimated per passenger spend of £70, this season alone could be worth in the region of £4-6m.”
The harbour’s operators said the vessels visiting it had been “notably bigger” this year, with one of the largest being was the 331m long MSC Virtuosa, with a gross tonnage of 181,541 and capacity for up to 6,200 guests.
The 216m cruise ship Ambition, operated by Ambassador Cruise Line, also made four visits to Falmouth during 2023, incorporating passenger turnarounds for the first time.
