Cruise Ships

LATEST NEWS

July 27 2010 Shetland Trainees Ready to Sail in The Tall Ships Races 2010!
Fourteen young adults recruited through Sail Training Shetland are preparing for an adventure of a lifetime as they join the Swan and Christian Radich as sail trainees to Race between Kristiansand, Norway and Hartlepool, UK this week.
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July 21 2010 More signs of gradual recovery in activity at Lerwick Harbour
Activity at Lerwick Harbour ended the first half of this year on a positive note, with cargo traffic showing signs of recovering, a strong performance by the passenger sector, a small rise in vessel arrivals and oil-related shipping increasing in June for the first month since December, 2008.
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July 20 2010 Caring for the environment at Lerwick Harbour
Successful implementation of Environmental Management System.
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As a gateway for almost 140,000 passengers annually, Lerwick Harbour makes a major contribution to Shetland's important tourism industry.

Costa Atlantica anchored at Brei Wick

It has long been a port-of-call for cruise ships which have arrived in record numbers in recent years. With nearly 50 in a single season, Lerwick is one of Scotland's top destinations, ideally located midway between Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Norway and the Scottish mainland and Europe.

Cruise ships up to 205 metres in length berth alongside. Larger ships anchor in Bressay Sound, with passengers just five minutes by launch from a floating pontoon in a sheltered dock close to the town centre. The small 1.7 metre tidal range facilitates ease of transfer.

The introduction of a new pontoon system for tenders from the largest cruise ships accommodated at anchor in the sheltered harbour has greatly improved the safety and speed of passenger transfers.

Lerwick Port Authority manages a 'meet and greet' service for visiting cruise ships with assistance from local Destination Marketing Organisation, Promote Shetland. The project includes an onboard and onshore welcome by a greeter in traditional costume on the quayside and musicians playing Shetland music as passengers come ashore. For passengers on ships berthed outside the immediate town centre area, the project also can also supply shuttle buses into the town centre.

The islands’ many attractions for visitors include the fantastic Shetland Museum and Archives, opened in 2007 at a restored historic dock on the Lerwick waterfront.

Lerwick Port Authority is a member of Cruise Scotland and Cruise Europe. More information on the Authority's involvement with the cruise industry and its future plans can be found on our Bulletins page.