Cunard’s new ship Queen Anne today (1 June) made her maiden call into one of Scotland’s major cruise ports. Greenock Ocean Terminal welcomed Cunard’s majestic 322 metre ship to Inverclyde today, as part of its British Isles Festival voyage, marking another significant milestone since the port’s new £20m visitor centre opened last year.
The arrival of the 3,000-guestQueen Annehighlights how the new state-of-the-art visitor centre is already providing a return on investment.
Designed to bring a boost to Inverclyde and Scotland, since its opening in August last year, the visitor centre has led to the creation of more than 70 jobs and is expected to boost the Scottish economy by £26m.
Claudio Veritiero, Chief Executive Officer at Peel Ports Clydeport said: “We’re incredibly proud to welcome Cunard’s historic new liner to the Port of Greenock today.
“The arrival of the Queen Anne is another significant milestone for our port, showing how our facility’s appeal continues to grow with major liners as an important Scottish cruise destination.
“The new visitor centre was designed to help put Inverclyde on the map and it is doing exactly that. It’s not just a superb facility for cruise passengers, it’s a driver of the local and national economy, attracting thousands of visitors, as well as fantastic vessels to Inverclyde from all over the world.
“We look forward to welcoming many more awe-inspiring vessels to the Terminal as we move further into the cruise season.”
Katie McAlister, President of Cunard, said: “Queen Anne’s British Isles Festival voyage is celebrating the very best of Great Britain and Ireland and we are delighted that our guests on board have the opportunity to visit Scotland, including the Clyde and Glasgow – locations so embedded in our history.”
The Queen Anne is the latest vessel to be debuted by Cunard, and is almost 117ft wide and rises to 14 decks.
Its visit signals what is set to be a bumper cruise season for the port, with Greenock Ocean Terminal and the River Clyde set to welcome 79 cruise liners, carrying up to 115,000 passengers throughout 2024.
Passengers will enjoy the new dedicated visitor centre’s features, which include a museum paying tribute to the renowned late artist George Wyllie, a restaurant, and a roof terrace with stunning views of the River Clyde, as well as a purpose-built arrivals and departures hall.
The project, which was led by Inverclyde Council, was part of the £1bn Glasgow City Region City Deal funded by the Scottish and UK governments, with contributions from Peel Ports (£8m), operator of Greenock Ocean Terminal, and the George Wyllie Foundation (£1.7m).
The next destination for the Queen Anne will be Merseyside as it arrives at the Port of Liverpool for her official naming ceremony on June 3.