{"id":397,"date":"2025-02-05T12:16:55","date_gmt":"2025-02-05T13:16:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timsvideostore.com\/?p=397"},"modified":"2025-02-15T12:06:18","modified_gmt":"2025-02-15T12:06:18","slug":"port-of-aberdeen-sets-sail-for-historic-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timsvideostore.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/05\/port-of-aberdeen-sets-sail-for-historic-year\/","title":{"rendered":"Port of Aberdeen sets sail for historic year"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Chris<\/a><\/p>\n

Port of Aberdeen is preparing for a landmark year with nearly a 30% surge in cruise calls and the return of the world-renowned Tall Ships Races.<\/p>\n

The port is set to host 63* cruise calls during the 2025 season, running from April to September, bringing up to 40,000 guests to the city and shire.<\/p>\n

Major cruise line Viking will kick off the season with the arrival of Viking Vela on the 3 April and is set to make multiple visits throughout the season, highlighting Aberdeen\u2019s rising status as a must-visit destination for travellers.<\/p>\n

Wendy Atkin-Smith, Managing Director of Viking UK, said: \u201cWe\u2019re delighted to have added Aberdeen as a new port of call on some of our British Isles and Scandinavian itineraries and we are looking forward to our first ever visit in April this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Viking Vela, our newest ocean ship which was launched in early December 2024, will be the first ship in our fleet to visit Aberdeen and we know she will receive a very warm welcome.\u201d<\/p>\n

Costa Cruises and AIDA will return to the city, including maiden calls from sister vessels, AIDAbella and AIDAluna, both 252-metres long, and bringing in over 4,000 guests and crew between them. The magnificent Costa Favolosa, the largest vessel to ever visit Aberdeen, will also return to the port\u2019s South Harbour.<\/p>\n

The Fred.Olsen Borealis cruise ship will sail into the port for the first time, marking the cruise line\u2019s inaugural visit to Aberdeen. At 238-meters long, the remarkable ship can carry over 1,300 passengers.<\/p>\n

Bob Sanguinetti, CEO, Port of Aberdeen, said: \u201cAnother record-breaking year of bookings and a diverse lineup of visiting vessels set the stage for continued growth in the years ahead. With impressive ships scheduled to make multiple calls, including maiden visits from Viking and Fred.Olsen, Aberdeen is further solidifying its reputation as a premier destination in the global cruise market.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the height of the cruise season, The Tall Ships Races is expected to attract 400,000 visits as it returns to the city after nearly 30 years. Both the cruise season and the world-class event are expected to provide a significant economic boost for local businesses and the hospitality industry.<\/p>\n

Councillor Martin Greig, Chair of Aberdeen\u2019s Organising Committee for Tall Ships 2025, said:  \u201cThe recent increase in cruise ship visits and tourist numbers is really giving our area a major boost. The economic benefits are very substantial. It\u2019s great to be able to showcase the city to new international audiences.\u201d<\/p>\n

Local business Charles Michie\u2019s Pharmacy has already gone above and beyond to ensure cruise guests have the best possible experience when visiting Aberdeen. From investing in multilingual welcome boards to curating a selection of Scottish and Aberdeen-themed gifts, the pharmacy is dedicated to making visitors feel at home\u2014and is now preparing to welcome the many guests the Tall Ships will bring to the city.<\/p>\n

Rosemary Michie, Manager, Charles Michies Pharmacy, said: \u201cWe have been delighted to welcome cruise guests as they arrive in ever greater numbers, and we are extremely excited to welcome the Tall Ships when they arrive later in the summer. We have created a programme of events specifically to mark the occasion, including talks related to Aberdeen\u2019s rich maritime history and workshops exploring the city\u2019s link to the sea.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adrian Watson, CEO, Aberdeen Inspired, said: \u201cThe boost to the city centre will only grow in years to come as the cruise ship sector secures its place as a welcome and significant driver in Aberdeen\u2019s economy, helping the Granite City weather the tough times we are facing at the moment and sail on to thrive in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

To further support local businesses in capitalising on the influx of tourists, Port of Aberdeen and VisitAberdeenshire will host community Q&A sessions, ensuring they are well-prepared to offer an informed welcome to guests. Additionally, VisitAberdeenshire\u2019s volunteers will be stationed at the port to guide guests on the many attractions in the city.<\/p>\n

Chris Foy, CEO, VisitAberdeenshire, said: \u201cAuthentic, people-led experiences across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire are attracting the attention of cruise lines, and as a result, are placing the region on their itineraries in 2025\/26. Once again, our volunteers will be back on the quayside, providing the all-important warm North-east welcome, enhancing the experience for arriving visitors.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Port of Aberdeen is preparing for a landmark year with nearly a 30% surge in cruise calls and the return of the world-renowned Tall Ships Races. The port is set to host 63* cruise calls during the 2025 season, running from April to September, bringing up to 40,000 guests to the city and shire. Major […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":399,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[12],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/timsvideostore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/397"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/timsvideostore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/timsvideostore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timsvideostore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timsvideostore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=397"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/timsvideostore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/397\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":400,"href":"https:\/\/timsvideostore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/397\/revisions\/400"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timsvideostore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/399"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/timsvideostore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=397"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timsvideostore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=397"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timsvideostore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=397"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}