Seven ships are visiting the River Mersey, UK, for the first time in 2012.

Three of these belong to Saga, Saga Pearl, Saga Sapphire and Quest for Adventure. The remaining four are Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess, AIDA Cruises’ AIDAcara, P&O Cruises’ Adonia and Phoenix Reisen’s Albatros. 

About 6,000 P&O Cruises’ passengers will depart Southampton in the first two weeks of January boosting the local economy by £10m (E12m).

Four world cruises are departing and all will be flying the 175th anniversary flag as P&O Cruises begins a year of celebrations to mark the anniversary of the formation of the Peninsular Steam Navigation Company.

Aurora, Oriana, Arcadia and Adonia set sail between January 4 and 13.

Royal Caribbean International, P&O Cruises and TUI Cruises all called alongside Liverpool for the first time this year.

Ships on first calls included Albatross, Saga Pearl, Marco Polo and AIDAcara. About 27,000 passengers on 15 calls called the UK port with 30,000 on 20 calls forecast for 2012.

Le Havre has six calls booked this Christmas compared to one last year and the port is keen to not only attract more of these calls but extend the cruise season.

Valerie Dubuc, cruise director Cruise Le Havre, says: “One of our goals is to extend our cruise season throughout the year. I think there is a great potential for Christmas cruises. 

The port is preparing an entertainment programme at the Cruise Terminal which includes mulled wine and hot chocolate. This December P&O Cruises’ Arcadia will call four times, Oriana once and Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 once.

In 1991 the Port of Cork welcomed 10 cruiseships carrying 9,552 passengers and crew to Cobh and by 2011 this has increased to 54 calls carrying 100,902 passengers and crew. One vessel to visit this year was The World (pictured).

This significant growth shows that the Port of Cork’s investment in a dedicated cruise terminal in Cobh has paid dividends. Cork is the only port in Ireland that can berth the larger ships alongside in a deepwater sheltered environment.

This year 13 out of 38 calls are from newcomers to Klaipeda. Happy Cruises’ Gemini calls five times, Kristina Cruises’ Kristina Katarina calls once as does P&O Cruises’ Adonia while Seabourn’s Seabourn Pride calls six times.

Total passenger numbers are expected to reach 35,500 according to Kristina Gontier, head of marketing department Klaipeda State Seaport Authority. She adds: “This year’s biggest guest is Costa Pacifica that will call three times with over 3,000 passengers on board.”

On July 19 Cork accommodated three ships in one day for the first time in its history, carrying about 7,000 passengers and crew.

Five ships will make inaugural calls to Liverpool this year.

If the growth trend continues Europe will overtake the Caribbean as the most popular cruise destination in the world, Peter Wild of GP Wild (International) told Cruise Europe members in May.

Skjolden-Sognefjord is expecting 20 calls carrying 27,500 passengers in 2012 compared to 11 calls this year, according to Iren Vatne of Cruise Destination Skjolden-Sognefjord.