Record 52 ships set to visit Liverpool Cruise Terminal in 2014

Liverpool Cruise Terminal will break its previous record next year with 52 cruise ships scheduled to call, bringing 70,000 visitors to the city.

Among the cruise liners making their Mersey debut in 2014 will be the new MS Europa 2, Ruby Princess and MSC Magnifica.

The high points of Liverpool Cruise Terminal’s fast-growing popularity were revealed at a conference organised by the Mersey Maritime Group trade body.

During the cruise terminal’s first full season of operation in 2008 there were just 13 calls, rising to 42 calls last year.

Thomson Cruises is the latest company to offer Liverpool-based cruises, with three itineraries in May 2014. Once again Cruise & Maritime and Fred Olsen will operate Liverpool-based cruises next year.

Another expanding market are ‘split- voyages’ – passengers can take shorter cruise to or from Liverpool on board Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth & Celebrity Infinity.

Overnight stays are also increasing in popularity with The World making a return 3 day visit next month whilst next May, Queen Victoria will over night as part of a special celebratory cruise to mark the centenary of ‘Aquitania’, widely considered one of the most attractive ships of her time, Aquitania earned the nickname “Ship Beautiful”;

Celebrity Infinity will stay overnight in Liverpool in July 2014 so passengers can visit The British Open Championship, at Royal Liverpool Golf Club.

Angie Redhead, Liverpool Cruise & Operations Manager, said: “The growth of cruise calls is driven by a combination of factors, predominantly our city centre location and the sheer choice of quality experiences on the doorstep and in the surrounding region. Passenger comment cards are a delight to read as expectations are exceeded on every occasion. This is very important in a competitive industry where there are no second chances and a lot of destinations are vying for cruise business.”