The Port of Plymouth is reaping the benefits of a big boost in cruise ship arrivals, fully double the number that called two years ago, bringing welcome revenue to the destination on England’s southwest coast.
Thanks to the 14 cruise ships that will visit during the 2024 season, the port and city of Plymouth will see additional visitor spending of £1.5 million ($1.9 million USD).
Plymouth, known as Britain’s Ocean City, will welcome about 10,500 cruise guests, each of whom will spend around £90 ($117 USD) while visiting the destination, and roughly 5,000 crew members.
Aside from cruise guest spending at restaurants and shops in the Plymouth area, the region also sees income from port and harbor pilot fees plus shore excursion bookings.
“This is a fantastic boost to the local economy and it is growing by the year. We’re delighted to see so many passengers and crew enjoying our city and spending on everything from visiting the attractions and taking tours, to the gift shops and other retail outlets, cafes and restaurants,” said Amanda Lumley, chief executive of Destination Plymouth.
Plymouth, located about 160 miles southwest of Southampton, is best known by Americans for its role in US history since it was from the city that the Mayflower set off for the New World in 1620. The destination marks the historic event with the Mayflower Steps, a harbor-front landmark flanked by the British and American flags.
In 2024, the port will welcome a wide variety of cruise ships, from smaller vessels with a capacity of fewer than 300 passengers to those that can accommodate around 1,500.
In 2024, ships visiting the port, which can berth vessels up to 984 feet long, include Seabourn’s 450-guest Seabourn Sojourn, Exploris’ 132-guest expedition ship Exploris I, Windstar Cruises’ 312-guest Star Legend, Ponant’s 184-guest Le Dumont D’urville, Silversea Cruises’ 691-guest Silver Dawn and 608-guest Silver Spirit, and Oceania’s 684-guest Sirena, among others.
Cruise line representatives also tout the appeal of the destination and the surrounding region.
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“The city is really well received with its distillery, museums, local shops and tours in the countryside and maritime history. The majority of passengers – 70% – are Americans interested in the Mayflower connection. Plymouth is a beautiful location,” said Susanna Carpaccio, manager of destination experiences at Silversea Cruises.
International cruise brands representing the premium, luxury, and expedition markets all are represented in the roster of ships slated to call at the port, and the destination holds special welcome ceremonies for vessels making their maiden calls.
“Ten of these cruise ships are first time visitors to Plymouth and, during such inaugural visits, it’s a long maritime tradition to exchange plaques between the Master of the vessel and the Port’s Harbour Master or local representative, so a plentiful supply of plaques is needed for this year,” said Glen Gardner, cruise new business development manager at Destination Plymouth.
The port’s facilities are in the process of a major renovation to upgrade berthing and passenger facilities, all scheduled to be completed in 2025. The investment project is an initiative of Associated British Ports, which owns the port of Plymouth.
Destination Looks to Similar Success in 2025 Cruise Season
In early 2024, tourism officials predicted a major boost in the port’s cruise business, citing the expected 40% rise in cruise ship arrivals. Now that it has come to fruition, Destination Plymouth officials are enthusiastic about 2025 as well, noting that 10 vessels already are committed to calling at the port and four more ship visits are pending.
Plymouth is not the only coastal destination in England making substantial gains in cruise tourism. The port of Portsmouth, which is much closer to Southampton — roughly 20 miles west — is expecting to break cruise arrival records in 2024, with 155,000 guests expected.
Portsmouth completed a major berth expansion and built a new cruise terminal. Like Plymouth, several ships will make maiden calls to the port in 2024, including large ships such as Norwegian Cruise Line’s 2,400-guest Norwegian Star.
