Simon shares this latest on behalf of Visit Isle of Wight.
This Sunday (29th April) will see the second cruise ship this year moor off Cowes, thanks to work by Cowes Harbour Commission and Visit Isle of Wight.
It’s hoped that cruise passengers will enjoy the Isle of Wight’s famous hospitality and come back for a longer stay.
Working to attract more cruise ships
Cowes Harbour Commission has been leading the project, as Harbour Master, Captain Stuart McIntosh explained:
“We’re very pleased to be having another visit from another cruise ship, the Astor. Cowes Harbour Commission have been working very closely with Visit Isle of Wight to try and attract more cruise ships to use Cowes and the Isle of Wight as one of their destinations.”
Liner to moor off Cowes
At around 176m long, the Astor – described as a boutique liner – will moor just off Cowes between 1.30pm and 11pm this Sunday. Passengers can take a tender to Trinity Landing at Cowes Esplanade.
From there, a team of Travel Ambassadors from Visit Isle of Wight will offer information and leaflets about the Island, giving passengers the opportunity to go further than the confines of their luxury cruise liner.
Offering a warm welcome
Visit Isle of Wight’s Visitor Travel Project Manager, Zoe Stroud, said:
“It is great to welcome new visitors to the Island and those arriving on cruise ships. It is a brilliant opportunity for the Visit of Wight Travel Ambassadors to offer a warm welcome.
“We will be offering help and advice so the visitors get the best out of their Isle of Wight visit. The team will offer inspiring ideas of things to see and do. We are also developing specific itineraries to really showcase what the Island has to offer.”
Boost for the town
Cowes town is set to get a boost too. In the past, if a cruise ship has visited, a coach has been laid on to immediately whisk passengers away to other parts of the Island.
Now, Captain McIntosh hopes that cruise passengers will now have the chance to enjoy the popular coastal town:
“Cowes… with it’s unique boutique High Street, the cafes, the restaurants and pub culture, together with a lot of the local museums like the Sir Max Aitken Museum, the Cowes Heritage museum… we’ve got a lot of attractions.”
A window into the Island
Captain McIntosh said it is a fantastic opportunity for the Island’s economy:
“They may only be ashore for a few hours or half a day at the most, but what it does, is it provides them with a window to look at the Island and then hopefully, if they like what they see, they‘ll come back here and say ‘we want to go and have a week’s holiday, we want to have 10 day’s holiday’, and that’s got to be good for the Island’s economy.”
