Port Sunderland England UK (located to the east of Newcastle upon Tyne) joined the Cruise Britain association as part of its plans to bring cruise ships to Sunderland City.
Over the past few years, the port has hosted a number of one-off cruise ship calls with the most recent being MS Gann in May 2017, which arrived from Stavanger, Norway. The ship was the 5th passenger vessel to visit Sunderland UK in 40 years and the first since the turn of the century.
Matthew Hunt, port director, said:
“Port of Sunderland has, for many years, welcomed and hosted cruise ships and their passengers, and it is a market we are interested in exploring further, because we can clearly see its potential and believe that the city and region has much to offer visitors.
“Though we’re taking very early steps into this market, having successfully hosted cruise ships before – and as the city continues to grow its offer, with stunning developments underway at our beautiful seaside and in the heart of the city – we hope to increase the frequency of cruise visits to the port in the coming years and add an exciting new dimension to our offer.”
Port Sunderland aims to use existing infrastructure to cater to medium-sized and small cruise ships, as well as expedition vessels.