The Port of Tyne in North East England is preparing for the busiest day ever at its International Passenger Terminal in North Shields with the arrival of a record five passenger ships all in one day including the biggest cruise ship ever to visit the Port.
On Tuesday 16 August 2016 Holland America Line’s Koningsdam became the largest cruise ship to visit the Port of Tyne at 299.79m long and 99,836 gross tons. Launched in April this year, Koningsdam is one of the world’s newest cruise ships, and brought almost 4,000 passengers and crew to the region.
German-operated Aida Vita, which arrived on Monday, sailed on Tuesday closely followed by the arrival of Seven Seas Voyager, Koningsdam, the DFDS ferry King Seaways and Astor.
The combined length of all five vessels is 1,042.90ms and an estimated 10,000 passengers and crew passed through the Port’s International Passenger Terminal throughout the day.
Andrew Moffat Port of Tyne, Chief Executive Officer, said: ‘The Port has worked hard to increase the number of cruise ships coming into the region and this year we expect a record 43 cruise calls, up from 29 last year.
‘Whilst this is good news for the Port of Tyne, it is also very good for the region – the impact on the local economy is estimated at around £55 million each year, supporting 2,000 jobs. The team is well prepared and looking forward to welcoming a record number of international visitors in just 24 hours.’
At the passenger terminal where preparations were under way, a record number of coaches took passengers on tours to explore North East England and its famous visitor attractions such as Alnwick Castle and Gardens, Hadrian’s Roman Wall, Durham Cathedral and City, and the Holy Island of Lindisfarne.
Photographs courtesy of Port of Tyne.
