Partner Article

First port of call for P&O

THE PORT OF TYNE this morning welcomed the first cruise call from P&O Cruises, when the ‘Artemis’ arrived at the river’s two piers at 7am.

The Artemis is 230 metres long and is carrying over 1,200 visitors to the region – mainly Brits. The cruise ship will be berthed at Northumbrian Quay in North Shields.

In April 2010 the Artemis made history, as she set sail with P&O Cruises first female Captain, Sarah Breton, at the helm, becoming only the second female in the world to captain a major cruise liner and the first for P&O.

Visitors will be taking tours of local icon attractions including Bamburgh Castle, Durham, Hadrians Wall, Newcastle and Alnwick Garden.

As part of the cruise welcome the Port will be providing a taste of Northumberland reception where passengers can sample local produce as there are greeted by the Northumbrian pipes.

Artemis is expected to sail at 5pm this evening.

The UK cruise market is said to have doubled in size during the last decade, and is predicted to double again over the next 10 years - to three million passengers annually.

As major cruise operators look to explore new markets the Tyne is fast becoming an attractive destination for Northern European cruises.

Figures from the 2010 Port of Tyne Economic Impact Assessment indicate that the spend of ferry and cruise passengers contributes £33 million to the regional economy and is estimated to generate almost 1500 jobs.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .