13 September 2023
A Disney cruise ship docked at Greenock Ocean Terminal earlier today, bringing its 4,000 passengers to the local area.
The Disney Dream, which has 18 decks and is almost 1,115ft in length is one of dozens to visit the cruise port in a record year. The family-friendly cruise ship offers many activities onboard including a nine-hole mini-golf course, a full-sized basketball court, several pools and hot tubs, and two theatres.
The ship also boasts the first water coaster at sea, called The AquaDuck. It is a 233-metre-long winding waterslide with a four-deck drop and a course that winds over the edge of the ship and through the ship's forward funnel.
The vessel departed from Southampton on 10 September and will return to the same port on 17 September.
Its arrival follows the official opening of a new £20million cruise ship visitor centre last month. The development aimed to increase visitor numbers to 150,000 passengers a year, which has already been surpassed.
The project is expected to provide a £26m boost to the Scottish economy and over 70 jobs have also been created.
Jim McSporran, Clydeport Port Director at Peel Ports said: “It’s always a pleasure to welcome any cruise ship to Greenock, but it’s particularly great to be welcoming visitors to the newly launched terminal.
“We’ve invested significantly with our partners on upgrading our facilities, which take our offerings at the port to the next level. Thousands of passengers and crew from around the world have already been enjoying the facilities, and we’re excited to add Disney Dream guests to this list.
“With its bustling cities, picturesque countryside, and even perfectly white sandy beaches, Scotland has so much to offer. It’s truly a hidden gem for international travellers and we hope this latest round of guests enjoy their visit.”
The terminal will welcome 89 cruise liners into the Inverclyde town’s new dedicated pontoon across 2023 – a rise of over 25 per cent on last year.
As well as the 150,000-plus passengers, 38,000 crew members are also expected to pass through the port over the course of this year.
The visitor centre was first used by passengers in June this year when one of the world’s largest cruise liners – the 330m-long MSC Virtuosa – berthed at the terminal.