'Taster cruise' passengers enjoy a taste of the island
ST PETER PORT welcomed its first big cruise of the year, as the MSC Virtuosa made its first stop on one of its journeys around northern Europe.
The ship, that can carry up to 6,334 passengers, is one of the two largest in MSC Cruises fleet, and arrived in Guernsey at 7am, leaving at 6pm.
It is also the highest-capacity cruise liner that will visit Guernsey in 2023.
Cruise pier operations manager Mark Renouf said it was unsurprisingly nearly three-quarters full.
‘There are 4,261 people on board which is about average for this time of year,’ he said.
‘It’s come from Southampton and is going to Le Havre next before returning to Southampton, it’s just a short taster cruise.’
A steady flow of predominantly British passengers were taken to and from the boat on the Travel Trident and were greeted on shore by tour guides, Tuk Tuk tours and the Petit Train.
Tuk Tuk Guernsey owner Julie Alderton said her business’s services had been in strong demand from passengers.
‘Cruise ship days are always great, we’ve been very busy doing our rides.’
Hull residents Daniel Wilson and Martin Sinclair had taken the opportunity to visit Guernsey after a recent trip to the Channel Islands caught their eye.
‘We tried Jersey and it was beautiful so we wanted to see what Guernsey has to offer,’ Mr Wilson said.
‘It’s got the home charms with a French feel – it’s lovely.’
Anne West had come from Fareham and was celebrating her 71st birthday with her daughter Victoria Butler.
The pair have familial links to Guernsey, but were visiting for the first time.
‘We’ve been to the Sunken Gardens, which is a very pretty space,’ said Ms West. ‘I’ve had a great birthday.’
However not everyone was feeling so uplifted as one anonymous passenger criticised the management of the stop-off.
‘We booked our ticket to get off the boat at 9am but only got here at noon. They shouldn’t bring a boat this big if they can’t organise it right,’ she said.
Guernsey was named Best UK & British Isles Port of Call at the Cruise Critic Awards last year after 2022 saw 88% of passengers choosing to come ashore.
The industry average is around 65%.
In 2023, the Bailiwick will host nearly 100 ship visits, with 42 of those having a capacity of more than 1,000.
The next big cruise ship scheduled to stop off is the Regal Princess, which is scheduled to visit on Tuesday.
