Plymouth is gearing up to welcome more than 10,000 cruise passengers this year after bookings rose by 40% compared with the same time in 2023

Among the 14 vessels already confirmed to dock in the city this year are several making their first call, plus a number of expedition vessels.

Ambassador Cruise Line is slated to make its debut when Ambition and Ambience arrive in the port, with expedition vessels such as Seabourn Venture, Exploris One, Star Legend, and Le Dumont D’urville set to arrive later in 2024.

The port will also welcome luxury cruise vessels such as Silver Dawn, Silver Spirit, Sirena and Seabourn Sojourn, along with visits by German operator Phoenix Reisen with Artania, Amadea, and Amera.

The first ship arrives in April and bookings continue monthly until October with cruise lines from the USA, Germany and France represented along with UK ships. More visits are in the pipeline for 2024 and inquiries are coming in for next year and 2026.

The “burgeoning” cruise business will come as a welcome boost to the city, Destination Plymouth said, with the extra calls and uptick in passengers providing a “significant boost” to the local economy and additional employment opportunities.

Plymouth eyes reputation as ‘must-see’ UK port of call

Amanda Lumley, chief executive of Destination Plymouth, said: “Plymouth has been working hard to cement our reputation as a must-see port of call and a great many people are busy behind the scenes to make these cruise visits a huge success.

“We recently hosted a two-day familiarisation visit by some cruise industry representatives, including cruise line executives, cruise media and a cruise line ship management representative, to showcase some of the top attractions we have to offer.”

Elsewhere, Portsmouth International Port is also gearing up for its busiest season to date, with 90 ships expected to visit the hub in 2024.