The Port of Poole saw only three cruise ship calls by two vessels in 2022, with maiden visits by Deutschland (1998/22,496gt) on 26 April followed by fleetmate Amadea (1991/29,008gt) on 7 June during German operator Phoenix Reisen’s inaugural season at the Dorset port.
Amadea returned on 2 October, but the port can look forward to a second visit by Deutschland during 2023 as well as Amera which, at 205.5m in length, will become the largest ship to have ever called at the South Quay cruise berth.
Planned first time visits this year by Seaventure (1990/6,752gt), Sea Cloud Spirit (2020/4,228gt) and delayed Infinity class newbuild Ocean Odyssey (2022/8,228), currently still at the China Heavy Merchant Industries shipyard in Haimen, were all cancelled.
Grand Circle Cruise Line and Variety Cruises, which regularly included Poole in their itineraries, have so far not returned following the pandemic.
Report and photo by Kevin Mitchell
