Falmouth is awaiting the outcome of its application for a licence to dredge the port and build a new 400m-long quay.
Mike Reynolds, port operations director Falmouth, says: “Due to environmental considerations, especially as a result of the EU-designated Special Area of Conservation that we are located in, this is quite a difficult issue and has added considerably to the cost. The dredge alone is £23m (E26.1m) with £8m (E9.1m) of additional cost for the wharf and a cruise reception building.”
All being well and the work getting the go ahead the hope is that the dredge/wharf build would be winter 2011/12 but this is more likely to be 2012/13 says Reynolds.
There are 28 calls scheduled this year carrying 19,623 passengers (and 9,080 crew) compared to 25 in 2010 with 23,036 passengers. Sea Cloud Cruises and Hebridean Island Cruises are calling for the first time with Sea Cloud and Hebridean Princess respectively. Other newcomers are Princess Cruises’ Emerald Princess and Phoenix Reisen’s Artania although she has called previously as P&O Cruises’ Artemis.
At present the port can accommodate vessels up to 220m in length and with a draught up to 8m alongside. To date the largest to call has been Holland America Line’s 55,451gt Maasdam. On anchorage the largest ship to come in and tender is Princess Cruises’ Emerald Princess.
The limiting depth is in the existing channel with 5.1m at all states of tide and a maximum tidal range of 5.5m explains Reynolds.
Falmouth has improved its local maps and will be handing them out on the quayside to inbound passengers this season. It will continue to provide complimentary shuttle buses into the Cornish town each with a guide.
The 50 or so volunteer Falmouth Ambassadors continue to greet passengers on arrival with information on what to do in a number of different languages.
