The rural economy of Portland, England, which hosts cruise ships to the British Isles, welcomed an unexpected traveler when a Norwegian Cruise Line ship made an unexpected appearance.
Portland, about 60 miles southwest of Southampton, is located on the famous Jurassic Coast, a World Heritage site in the county of Devon.
Norwegian Dawn Arrives Early Day in Portland
Norwegian Cruise Line has 2,340 guests Norwegian Dawn she arrived in Portland, England, on July 10, the evening before she arrived at the port, bringing a large amount of business to the shops, restaurants, and pubs. Some bad weather led to an early visit.
Dawn, which entered service in 2002, calls regularly at Portland on summer cruises that visit the British Isles and Ireland, plus France and Belgium. Norwegian Dawn is among the many ships that call at Portland.
In fact, the port in 2023, expects to receive 130,000 visitors, which represents a 23% increase in cruise arrivals compared to 2022. In 2023, cruise-related revenue is expected to bring about $13 million to the local economy.
One of the biggest ships to call this season was MSC Cruises’. MSC Virtuosa, which holds up to 5,000 guests. Cruisers visiting Portland often visit the nearby town of Weymouth, and that’s exactly what Norwegian Dawn guests did this week.
“One of the secrets to success in growing our marine business is to be as flexible and flexible as possible for our customers. Appreciation must go to our staff and vendors for their quick response in arranging the arrival of Norwegian Dawn and the passenger shuttle bus,” said Bill Reeves, Chief Executive of the Port of Portland.
“By late afternoon nearly half of the passengers had left for Weymouth to enjoy the pubs and restaurants or to try the local fish and chips, and their arrival would have provided an unexpected windfall for many of the retail, hospitality and related businesses in the area. ,” Reeves added.
The ship was on a 10-day voyage from Copenhagen to Southampton, departing from the port of Denmark on July 2. Besides Portland, other ports of call were Edinburgh and Stornoway, Scotland; Dublin, Ireland, and Belfast, Northern Ireland, among other places.
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Norwegian Dawn currently on a 14-night cruise from Southampton that departed July 12, with scheduled calls at Le Havre, France; Bruges, Belgium; Invergordon, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Kirkwall, Scotland; Belfast, Northern Ireland, and Cork and Dublin, Ireland, among other places.
Port Call is part of England’s famous Jurassic Coast
Portland Port records show that about half of all visitors come to the area, with the rest using the port’s free shuttle bus to Weymouth, a popular seaside town known for its beautiful beach houses. and Georgian architecture.
Other tours visit the Jurassic Coast, one of the most famous places in Great Britain and the only place in the world where rocks from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods can be seen in one place.
They’re going up Norwegian Dawn, guests will find a wide variety of stateroom categories, including the ship’s staterooms, which are among the largest suites at sea. Some of the villas have several rooms and are up to 7,000 square meters.
Specialty restaurants on the ship include La Cucina, for Italian cuisine; French-inspired Le Bistro; Tappanyaki, a Japanese specialty; sushi; Los Lobos, featuring Mexican cuisine; Cagney’s Steakhouse; and Modern Churrascaria, a Brazilian steakhouse.
Norwegian Dawn She will continue sailing the British Isles and Ireland from Copenhagen and Southampton, including German and Polish voyages between Stockholm, Sweden, and Copenhagen, and France, Spain, Portugal and Belgium voyages between Southampton and Lisbon until October.
In November, the ship will go south, offering different tours of the Mediterranean and Greek Islands.
