Largest cruise ship of the year arrives
Shetland Times
The largest ship of the cruise season – by tonnage – arrived at Lerwick Harbour this weekend in what has been the port’s busiest summer with cruise ships yet.
Norwegian Getaway, operated by Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line, arrived at 8am on Saturday on her maiden visit to the harbour.
A total of 132 cruise ships have called into Lerwick this season.
On board the 326-metre, 145,655 gross tonne ship, there are six options for dining including cafes and restaurants, five bar areas, a Starbucks and a spa.
Passengers can also make use of the onboard water park, gym facilities and sports courts, which can be used for sports such as basketball.
On a 16-day round northern Europe voyage, 3,855 passengers from 41 countries were on board.
Members from Lerwick’s Jarl Squad were on hand to welcome the passengers to mark her maiden visit to Shetland.
Ron and Karen Jago, Canberra Australia
What an enormous privilege to visit the Shetland islands yesterday whilst travelling on the Norwegian Getaway. As Australians we thoroughly enjoyed the television series and felt at home immediately. We had a wonderful day and would like to thank the local residents who made us feel so welcome. We will definitely come back one day.
Bob Marsh
132 cruise ships in 2023. Gigantic sizes a new phenomenon. They visit because shipowners must sell an itinerary to their clients, and are running out of allowed places worldwide to make port calls without severe restrictions, as per Norway and elsewhere, even bans on their presence.
Nice to welcome, but needs urgent qualification. So Is anyone in SIC estimating port charges and day tripper revenue to the local economy versus, the new mantra of green and clean, what Shetlanders seem blindly being persuaded to accept.
This, apart from the disruption to local services, the amount of visual and environmental pollution from diesel power exhaust gas into the air, discharge of black water sewage, bilge residue, grey, and ballast water from foreign locations into Shetland’s surrounding, for now, pristine seas. Current regulations offer inadequate protection. Ironically as seas being concurrently promoted for quality of product.
Little guidance available from Edinburgh, as Orkney and elsewhere finding out. Local initiatives need to be enacted and fast to address same as to allowed numbers, vessel specifications, use of local facilities such as shore power, waste disposal. Permitted parking, not areas of SSI or produce production, might be a useful start to consider.
https://www.transportenvironment.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/The-return-of-the-cruise-June-2023.pdf