The 2024 cruise season has officially opened at Scotland’s Greenock Ocean Terminal, with Princess Cruises’ 3,560-guest Regal Princess becoming the first ship to call at the facility in Inverclyde, the port for Glasgow.
The Greenock Ocean Terminal, which recently launched a new visitor center, welcomed 91 cruise ships in 2023, breaking the port’s 2022 record by a substantial 25%. Port officials expect 79 ships to call in 2024, bringing an estimated 115,000 cruise guests to the region.
Early bookings for 2025 indicate the port will break its 2023 arrivals record. Meanwhile, the 2024 season will be the first full cruise season for the £20 million ($25 million USD) visitor center, which opened in August 2023, about midway through last year’s season.
The center features an arrivals and departures hall, a museum/art gallery, and a restaurant, and has already created 70-plus local jobs and added some £26 million ($32.5 million USD) to the Scottish economy.
“We’re looking forward to another busy cruise season at Greenock Ocean Terminal, the first since our new visitor centre was launched,” said Jim McSporran, Port Director at Peel Ports Clydeport.
“The impressive centre is not only a superb facility for cruise passengers, but it also enhances our ability to attract these fantastic vessels to Inverclyde from all over the world, which has a positive impact on local businesses and Scotland’s broader economy,” added McSporran.
Along with the new visitor center, recent upgrades to Inverclyde include a new floating pontoon cruise ship berth that enables the port to accommodate ships up to 1,115 feet long. The maximum length enables most mega-ships to call, and is just shy of the 1,186-foot-length of Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class ships.
The improvement project, which was led by Inverclyde Council, was part of a £1 billion ($1.2 billion USD) Glasgow City Region City Deal funded by the Scottish and UK governments, Peel Ports, the operator of Greenock Ocean Terminal, and some private contributions.
Inverclyde is comprised of three towns: Port Glasgow, Greenock, and Gourock, as well as a few small villages. The area has a shipbuilding and seafaring history and offers visitors a wealth of outdoor activities plus a vibrant arts and culture scene.
Queen Anne Visit a Highlight for the Port in 2024
One of the major highlights of the 2024 season is the upcoming visit by Cunard’s new ship, Queen Anne, which will call at Greenock during her 14-night maiden British Isles Festival Voyage. The ship was officially delivered to the line in mid-April.
The 3,000-guest Queen Anne will depart from Southampton on May 24, 2024 and call at Edinburgh, Invergordon, Greenock, Belfast, and finally Liverpool, where her naming ceremony will be held on June 3, 2024. Following her christening, Queen Anne will call at Cobh, Ireland, before returning to Southampton.
Other cruise ships scheduled to call at Greenock include Disney Cruise Line’s 4,000-guest Disney Dream; Celebrity Cruises’ 3,400-guest Celebrity Apex; Silversea Cruises’ 600-guest Silver Spirit; Royal Caribbean’s 2,700-guest Jewel of the Seas; Azamara’s 670-guest Azamara Onward; Carnival Cruise Line’s 2,124-guest Carnival Legend; and Norwegian Cruise Line’s 2,340-guest Norwegian Dawn, among others.
“Inverclyde’s cruise tourism sector has gone from strength to strength in recent years, and we’re delighted it’s going to be another busy year at Greenock Ocean Terminal with some really impressive liners arriving,” said Stephen McCabe, Inverclyde Council representative.
Cruise guests arriving to Greenock can travel to Glasgow by train in about 20 minutes and enjoy many area tours and excursions.
