Cruise Britain anticipates 2,500 cruise ship calls in 2025, with May recording the highest monthly total.
Fifty-seven ports welcomed cruise ships, aligning with historical participation levels and demonstrating strong collaboration among service providers.
The number of guests embarking on cruises from English ports has surpassed 1.6 million, reflecting a 9.9 per cent increase over the previous year’s records.
Ports experienced over two million transit passengers, contributing an estimated £170 million to England and Scotland’s coastal tourist economies.
A significant portion of transit visitors comes from overseas, primarily from the USA and Germany, bolstering the cruise industry and local tourism.
There are 466 cruise ship calls to Ireland’s ports scheduled for 2025
Ian McQuade, chair of Cruise Britain, shared: “57 ports welcomed a cruise ship in 2024, which is in line with historical figures. Cruise Britain works with the large majority of these ports, and we see the dedication, professionalism and investment that is evident across the country.”
“In addition, our service providers are the backbone of the delivery of every call and of the successful guest experience. The number of ships calling into England and Scotland has reached 134, which represents around a third of the world’s ocean-going cruise ship fleet.
“Britain and Ireland cruise popularity goes from strength-to-strength with the diverse multi-country story of discovery really resonating with visitors, whether they be international guests, as the vast majority are, or English residents exploring their own country.”
“With the imminent first anniversary of the MOU with Cruise Ireland, we see an increased opportunity to drive growth in the cruising region. Looking ahead, we expect that the current season will continue to build on the strong 2024 figures.”
