Time travel

Liverpool celebrates 15 years of cruise control

Liverpool Cruise Terminal is celebrating 15 years of hosting passenger cruise ships.

Since it was officially opened by HRH The Duke of Kent in 2007, the terminal has welcomed more than 700 ships and boosted the local economy by an estimated £65million.

By the end of the 2022 cruise season, Liverpool is expected to have received its millionth international visitor.

To mark the anniversary milestone, three special partnership arrangements have been unveiled, aimed at improving access to careers in the cruise industry, supporting local tourism and reducing Cruise Liverpool’s carbon footprint.

An exciting collaboration with Strawberry Field ‘Steps to Work’ programme will allow young people with learning disabilities to follow their passion and learn about working at the terminal.

It will be working with war museum Western Approaches, linking cruise passengers to the historic underground Second World War bunker, considered one of Liverpool’s hidden gems. There will also be a formal partnership with the University of Liverpool on a sustainability strategy for Cruise Liverpool.

During the 15-day birthday celebration, Fred Olsen Cruise Line’s Borealis dropped anchor to invite special guests on board for a launch event and tour of the ship.

It was the first time a passenger ship in Liverpool has invited non-travelling guests on board since the pandemic.

The recently launched Viking Mars, a striking all-veranda ship, made an inaugural transit call into the city, as well as Disney Magic, with Marketing Liverpool giving a special behind-the-scenes look via TikTok at what it’s like to be a Disney passenger. Hanseatic Nature, the 230-passenger luxury expedition ship, also made an inaugural visit.

Councillor Harry Doyle, cabinet member for culture and visitor economy, said: “The cruise terminal has an important role to play in Liverpool’s future, and the next step is to explore how we can grow this future sustainably.”

cruise-liverpool.com

A £12million makeover is taking off in the departure lounge at

London City Airport. The upgrade will offer 30% more

seating, two new dining experiences, extra duty free and

retail space, along with new and expanded toilets. Works are due to be completed next summer.

londoncityairport.com