THE cruise ship season gets underway this week as Greenock welcomes the first arrival of the sailing season.

A packed calendar of arrivals will kick off this Friday when Regal Princess berths at the Ocean Terminal.

The huge ship was a regular visitor Greenock last year and is scheduled to make more than half a dozen stop offs again this year.

She arrives at Greenock this Friday amid a 12-night cruise of the British Isles, which will see her go on to Kirkwall, Invergordon, Edinburgh, Le Havre and Southampton.

She is operated by Princess Cruise Lines and can carry almost 4,300 passengers.