• Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

North East Connected

Hopping Across The North East From Hub To Hub

Port of Tyne’s cruise operations supporting tourism economy

ByEmily

May 2, 2017

The Port of Tyne is set to accept yet another packed schedule of cruise calls this summer.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines continues to make the Port of Tyne one of the home ports for its flagship, Balmoral, the largest of its fleet of four vessels.

Balmoral will be sailing in to the Port of Tyne for its second ‘turnaround’ cruise season on Thursday 25 May, the first of Fred. Olsen’s 13 sailings direct from the Port during 2017.

Making the Port of Tyne one of the home ports for Balmoral also means that Fred. Olsen will be stocking the ship with provisions while docking at the Port’s purpose-built cruise berth – Northumbrian Quay in North Shields.

During Fred. Olsen’s first departure from the Port of Tyne for 2017 – on one of the cruise line’s range of ‘signature’ five-night ‘Norwegian Fjords’ sailings – Balmoral’s 1,350 guests, who will be accommodated in 710 well-appointed rooms and suites, are expected to consume around 416 litres of ice cream, 264 kilogrammes of cheese, 1,918 kilogrammes of potatoes, 338 litres of milk, 471 kilogrammes of beef and 7,095 portions of butter. In total, around 12 trucks will be arriving at the Port of Tyne to provide the supplies necessary for this initial cruise sailing.

In a recent Economic Impact Assessment of the Port of Tyne’s contribution from its cruise and ferry business, it was estimated that around £51 million is added to the regional ‘Gross Value Added’ (GVA) due to a combination of visitor spend and supply chain logistics.

Nolan Gray, Port of Tyne Business Development Director, said: “The Port’s cruise business continues to grow with over 50 calls this year and this success is testament to how well our region is connected in terms of transport links – not just for passengers travelling from Scotland, the North West, East Midlands and further afield and to a comprehensive supply chain that cruise ships require for stores and provisions.

“It is great to see Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines return with Balmoral and we hope that the continued success of our cruise operations continues to positively impact the economy.”

During the 2017 cruise season from the Port of Tyne, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines will be offering cruises to destinations that include the Norwegian fjords, the Baltics, Spitsbergen, Spain, Russia, the German waterways and around the British Isles.

Clare Ward, Director of Product and Customer Services for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said: “We are very excited to be basing Balmoral at the Port of Tyne for her second cruise season from Newcastle, during May to September 2017, as it means that we are able to offer guests in the North East an even greater number of cruise departures than ever before, with a choice of 13 in total.

“Fred. Olsen has over 100 years of heritage in running passenger services from the Port of Tyne, and has been operating regular cruise calls from Newcastle since 2006. Since then, Fred. Olsen has seen bookings departing from the Port of Tyne soar, with our Norwegian fjords cruises selling out in record time.

“The Port of Tyne is ideally placed for our ever-popular Norway, Scandinavian and Baltic itineraries, and we can save up to three days’ cruising time sailing from Newcastle to Norway than from Southern ports.”

For further information and to book a cruise please contact your local travel agent.

By Emily