First wave of cruise visitors for 2018 head to Fort William
FORT William’s pontoons are back in action ready to welcome the first large cruise ship of the new season.
The Astoria will be arriving next week on its maiden voyage to the town with 580 guests and 200 crew on board.
The ship is one of five cruise liners booked in for 2018 but that number will more than double for 2019 with 11 big ships already signed up.
Sarah Kennedy, one of the directors of the Fort William Marina and Shoreline Company, which runs the pontoons, was in Miami at a Cruise Expo last year to spread the word about the town as a port – and there are plans to do more of that this year in Lisbon to boost visitor numbers even further.
Last year the volunteer-run social enterprise company made £12,500 from six visiting cruise ships and other smaller vessels – including a super yacht with a supermodel on board, said Mrs Kennedy. They also received £400 from donations.
All the money is ploughed back into the company and towards a £1 million proposed extension for the pontoons for short-stay berths for yachts, cruisers and even a seaplane to moor up and have transit berths.
News on part of the funding is expected in June but more funding bids will have to be submitted to pay for the project.
This week volunteers were out and about making sure the waterfront was looking pristine ahead of the Astoria’s arrival on Wednesday April 25.
Mrs Kennedy has also been calling in at shops and businesses around the town so she can showcase what Fort William has to offer ship passengers, from special deals to attractions. She will pass on all the information to the ship so it can be shared with the guests in daily bulletins and on information screens.
And she is hoping ship captains will allow her on board to tell passengers face-to-face just how fantastic Fort William is.
‘The more we can show off Fort William, the better it is for us and a better experience the passengers will have,’ she said.
‘It’s the trickle and ripple effect. They will go home and tell friends and family about us and then, hopefully, they will want to come and visit too – if not by ship then by bus, car or train. It’s all for the good of Fort William.
‘Also, we mustn’t forget that nearly half of those aboard are crew and they don’t go off on excursions so they’ll stay in the town and spend some money in the takeaways and local chippies. They all talk to each other and move on to other ships. Getting the word out as widely as we can is so important.’
Any businesses or organisations interested in getting in touch as part of the showcase, can contact Mrs Kennedy on 07768 805040 or email info@ fwmsc.co.uk.