Parking changes with first cruise ship due
PARKING arrangements on the Albert Pier have changed to prepare for the start of the cruise ship season tomorrow.
The small car parking spaces are no longer available at the eastern end of the pier – it will be used for passenger handling.
Three two-hour spaces have been removed from the end of the central row of parking this week and today the two-hour parking spaces on the southern side will be changed into taxi and booked hire car parking from 6pm.
Vehicles are no longer able to park on the red light arm, excluding the marina traders’ bay, when larger ships are in.
However, 40 10-hour spaces on the seaward side of the South Esplanade, by Havelet Bay, will be turned into two-hour spaces from today to make more short-term parking available.
To compensate, more 10-hour parking is available on Castle Emplacement in an area normally reserved for port permit holders.
Angled spaces next to the fish quay slipway will also be available for public parking.
A total of 101 cruise ship visits are scheduled, with potentially 150,000 visitors and crew members coming ashore during the season.
Ships are due to start stopping by from tomorrow, with the Saga Sapphire scheduled, while on Easter Monday the Marco Polo is expected. The season ends on 7 October with the Sapphire Princess.
Figures released by CruiseBritain showed a rise in the number of cruise passengers visiting Britain for the 10th year in a row.
Harbour master Captain Chad Murray said there was still room to expand within the sector.
‘The cruise sector is still a growth business, both as an industry and for the island,’ he said.
‘The feedback from operators last year was very positive and we are looking forward to welcoming both returning and new ships to Guernsey.’
Last year the cruise sector brought in around £4m. in direct visitor spending – on a par with 2016.
A cruise visitor survey found there was a 16% increase in public spending by those who left the ship, on average £36.46 each.
Passengers who visit Jersey spend an average of £69 each and crew members an average of £90.
Jersey is expecting 9,600 tourists this season from 14 cruise ships.
Bad weather hit last season’s figures when 15 ships could not disembark passengers in Guernsey.
The number visiting from the ships was 110,288 compared with 133,000 in 2016.
n Full details of parking arrangements are at www.gov.gg/ cruiseseason2018.
