First 11 days of the season will see 10 vessels berthing at the terminal at Princes Dock including Magellan – the largest vessel to turn around at the facility. Tony McDonough reports
Liverpool’s cruise liner terminal celebrates its 10th birthday this year and the 2017 is getting off to a record-breaking start.
The first 11 days of the season will see 10 vessels berthing at the terminal at Princes Dock.
And to celebrate, the city will be staging two special quayside concerts / sail away shows as part of the 10th anniversary programme of events called: ‘A Decade Making Waves’.
The season began on Monday, June 5, with the Mersey debut of the luxury liner Silver Whisper followed the next day by Magellan – the largest vessel to turn around at the facility.
Magellan can accommodate 1,500 passengers and will receive a celebratory quayside concert from 8.15pm to 9pm.
The concert will feature a variety of local artists and will honour the 50th anniversary of The Beatles’ Sgt Pepper album and The Summer of Love.
A colourful confetti show will signal the ships departure at 9pm. Members of public are invited to watch the concert from Princes Parade.
Artists performing include: Liverpool Ukulele Orchestra, Sing Me Merseyside Choir (80+ performers), The Night and Days, a special proclamation from Liverpool’s Town Crier and Be Talls by VIP Puppets.
Almost 20,000 passengers and crew will be welcomed at the terminal during two week opening to the season, generating an estimated £1.5m boost to Liverpool’s tourism economy.
Liverpool will welcome another brand new addition to the city’s cruise calendar when the Celebrity Eclipse makes her inaugural call on Wednesday, June 14. A celebratory quayside concert will take place from 4:45pm to 5:15pm.
Liverpool is already set for a record-breaking year in 2017 as 63 cruise ships are scheduled to arrive, bringing with them over 111,000 international visitors and crew to the city.
Peter Murney, Liverpool’s cruise and operations manager, said: “The near non-stop schedule of arrivals will certainly invoke memories of the Mersey’s maritime heyday and with these special concerts we aim to give everyone a reason to celebrate the arrivals of these very special visitors to our river.
Liverpool City Council is now looking to expand the city’s cruise sector and recently appointed a technical team to develop a new permanent Cruise Passenger Facility on the River Mersey.