Wave of interest in Orkney’s cruise offer

The smooth running of Orkney’s cruise industry is seen as a “beacon of success” by other UK ports who strive to reach the high standards set in the county.

As a result of the successful partnership working by Orkney Harbours, Meet and Greet, shore excursions and shuttle bus teams, tourist attractions and local shops, alongside the fantastic Orkney offer and friendly welcome, Kirkwall is often named “top of the stops” in northern Europe by cruise liner passengers.

It’s no surprise that 2023 is set to be a busy cruise season in Orkney, with many familiar lines – and 17 new ones – due to call into the islands.

It’s difficult to quantify the exact value of cruise to Orkney but it is estimated as being between £12-15 million annually with a significant number of people working directly and indirectly with cruise and tourism in the islands.

At present there are a total of 234 ships booked to berth in the county over the course of the year – however, this will almost certainly reduce as operators alter route plans throughout the season.

The first caller due to arrive in Orkney is the Ambassador Ambience which will berth at Hatston Pier on 25 March if all goes to plan. The season is currently expected to end – weather permitting – with the Norwegian Star on 17 October. During this period there will be 112 calls to Hatston Pier and 42 days where there will be a vessel at Kirkwall anchorage.

The number of calls to Stromness has increased this year, with 23 bookings and there are 25 isles calls. It is exciting to see a liner return to Lyness this summer, and this is potentially an area for future growth for cruise calls particularly taking advantage of the excellent new Scapa Flow Museum.

There will be 41 lines visiting Orkney meaning the county continues to be the number one transit call location for cruise in the UK.

Paul Olvhoj is Business Development Manager with Marine Services at the Orkney Harbour Authority. He said: “We are delighted to be gearing up again for another busy cruise season.

“The popularity of Orkney as a destination means that organising the process of cruise line calls to our berths is complex and it is critical that the correct staffing and skills are employed to ensure the safe handling of liners with up to 4,000 passengers.

“We are proud that our Meet and Greet, security and shuttle bus teams are all paid staff providing a dedicated and skilled workforce. On top of this the substantial employment required to service the shore excursions to our destinations and the support they need is another benefit to the Orkney economy notwithstanding the excellent retail opportunities for passengers and crew to spend into our economy.”

“Interestingly, according the to the last visitor survey carried out in 2017, 16% of visitors to Orkney (non cruise) had first called to Orkney on a cruise ship – and then returned by other means to spend longer in the county.

“Cruise can be a divisive and difficult subject but we work very hard with the cruise lines, their shore excursion partners and our tourism stakeholders to ensure that the cruise sector has a positive experience in Orkney and that Orkney enjoys the benefits – it is not an understatement to say that every port in the UK looks at Orkney as a beacon of success in cruise and wishes to reach our high standards.

“The larger liners calling into Orkney make up a very small percentage of the overall numbers and we work very hard to minimise days with larger numbers of passengers. We do not want to stretch our infrastructure and we do not want anyone – cruise passengers or independent travellers - to have anything other than a first-class experience while here.

“We continue our efforts to extend the tourist season into the shoulder months and this is working. There is no question that we must ensure that tourism for all visitors, which is central to the local economy in Orkney and a vital source of employment throughout the islands, is properly managed.

“How we manage the environmental impact of liners calling at Orkney is a challenge not just for locations but the industry itself. Although there is a trend towards cleaner fuels for vessels it is important that shore power from green energy sources is considered. Our commitment to deliver a first-class service to all our visitors and benefitting the Orkney economy, through continual improvement and dedication, is a challenge that we are confident we can rise to.”