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Record year for cruise business underway

Island to welcome 50,000th cruise visitor

It’s set to be a record year for the Island’s cruise business with both cruise ship and passenger numbers up by 75 per cent on last year.

A total of 28 cruise ships are scheduled to visit the Isle of Man’s shores in 2017 (up from 16 in 2016) with 9,756 passengers aboard (an increase in passengers of 4,188 on last year).

The 50,000th cruise visitor to the Isle of Man since 2005 will be welcomed ashore in June, in what is set to be a landmark year.

The cruise season started last Friday (April 21) with the arrival of Hebridean Princess on a ‘Springtime Surprise Cruise’.

The season gathers pace tomorrow (Saturday) when a Manx piper playing on Douglas quay will herald the arrival of two ships.

Luxury cruise ship Le Soléal will berth alongside Victoria Pier, while Norwegian operator Hurtigruten’s ship Midnatsol will anchor in Douglas Bay.

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