Largest cruise vessel of tourist season delays maiden call
Shetland Times
The visit of the largest cruise ship of this year’s tourist season has been cancelled, delaying her maiden visit to Lerwick Harbour.
MSC Virtuosa was due to stop in the town on Monday, 13th May but due to poor weather forecasts she will no longer make her first visit to the isles.
The 332-metre vessel — which can carry in excess of 6,000 passengers — will now arrive the following Monday from Southampton.
Virtuosa has various forms of entertainment on board, with a theatre, a casino, a water park and a number of bars and restaurants.
May is one of the busiest months for the Lerwick Port Authority with four vessels making their maiden calls to the the harbour.
Yesterday (Friday), Ocean Albatros made the first maiden visit of the month, with Le Bellot expected to be the second cruise ship to make her first call to town.
Today, Ocean Nova and Borealis both arrived in Lerwick.
Garry Flaws
Possibly the largest cruise vessel to visit Shetland, the MSC Virtuoso is currently ranked 17th largest – the largest being Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas at 365 metres.
Tom Cruise
6,000 passengers sounds like Hell at Sea!