BOSSES at Greenock Ocean Terminal say it is set for its biggest ever cruise season with almost 100 ship visits bringing around 150,000 passengers plus almost 40,000 crew members.

The port has booked 91 cruise liners for its dedicated pontoon this year – a rise of over 25 per cent on last year.

This will be the second full season at the terminal since Covid largely closed down the cruise industry and bosses say it has bounced back strongly.

A new £19.2m cruise ship visitor centre is due to be completed later this year at the terminal.

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Jim McSporran, Clydeport port director at Peel Ports said: “We’re extremely proud to be announcing a record cruise year for Greenock Ocean Terminal.

“Welcoming cruise liners to Greenock is a hugely important aspect of our port offering and we’re delighted that we continue to attract and grow cruise numbers to the region.

“This increase in tourism will benefit visitor attractions and businesses across Inverclyde and central Scotland, and we look forward to welcoming these visitors across the season.

“In an effort to showcase the port as the cruise gateway to the west coast of Scotland, this year we are also investing in a promotional campaign to feature at the global cruise industry’s key annual gathering in the United States.”

Clydeport welcomed 71 vessels to the terminal last year as it returned to almost pre-pandemic levels, including the globe's largest 'residential ship', The World.

Council leader Stephen McCabe said: “The cruise sector here in Inverclyde continues to go from strength to strength and I’m delighted that this year is set to be the busiest yet with record numbers of ships and passengers, as well as a substantial number of crew visiting these shores.

“It’s timely that with 2023 shaping up to be a bumper year for cruise calls that the finishing touches are being put on our new state-of-the-art Greenock cruise ship visitor centre which will provide our guests from around the world with a first class welcome to Inverclyde and the west coast of Scotland.

“While we can all look forward to seeing some of the largest and most luxurious ships grace these shores over the coming months, with upwards of 200,000 people expected on board those vessels, there are also economic opportunities there for local businesses as visitors look to discover Inverclyde and the many great things we have to offer.”

Amongst the ships making a maiden visit to the terminal this year is the recently-built ultra-luxury MSC Virtuosa, which is 331 metres long and can carry over 6,000 passengers.

The vessel will be one of the biggest to dock at the terminal throughout the busy cruising season, which will come to a close in November.