ABP's Port of Hull counts cruise success
Above: Matt Jukes, Associated British Ports’ Port Director, Hull & Goole, presents Captain Ioannis Papangelis of MV Ocean Countess with a memorial plaque
Port bosses at Associated British Ports’ (ABP) Port of Hull celebrated yesterday following the completion of a series of cruises from the port by the MV Ocean Countess. The Port of Hull, which provides the only passenger service on the Humber Estuary, is becoming an increasingly popular cruise destination and embarkation port, and fittingly played host to Ocean Countess as the first cruise turnaround call of the year on 20 April. She returned on 26 April, 2 May and 8 May before her final disembarkation call yesterday.
Commercial and Operations staff from ABP met with Richard Bastow and Chris Coates of Cruise & Maritime Voyages along with representatives from Hull City Council and Visit Hull & East Yorkshire (VHEY) on board Ocean Countess to mark the occasion, which culminated in a presentation by Matt Jukes, ABP’s Port Director for Hull & Goole, of a memorial plaque to the vessel’s Captain, Ioannis Papangelis. A framed print of Ocean Countess was also presented to Matt Jukes by Cruise & Maritime Voyages.
Ocean Countess joined the Cruise & Maritime Voyages fleet in April under charter from the Majestic International Cruises Group and underwent a £3m refurbishment programme in advance of her debut. She arrived from Amsterdam on the 20 April following a mini-cruise from Tilbury before embarking on the series of turnaround calls which would take her to Hull a further four times in four weeks. During this period almost 7,000 passengers passed through the port.
Matt Jukes said: “We are keen to promote the port and the city as a cruise destination because we know that we have such a lot to offer. As well as a mixture of modern and traditional tourist destinations within the city, Hull also serves as a gateway to scenic destinations in and around Yorkshire.It is our clear aspiration to develop our cruise handling business much further as we have the potential to develop a dedicated handling facility through our riverside berth at Albert Dock. We are actively working with the City Council. Hull Forward and Yorkshire Forward to demonstrate the benefits that this could bring to the port, the city and the wider region”.
He added: “The success of the recent visits from the MV Ocean Countess has proved that we have the passenger market, the ideal location and the handling expertise and we can build upon this in support of our longer term plans”.
Richard Bastow said: “Cruise & Maritime Voyages would like to thank Associated British Ports for the excellent co-operation received during this inaugural season of Ocean Countess cruises from Hull. We look forward to returning next year when we will be increasing the number of departures from four this year to eight in 2011”.
Cruise is the fastest growing travel sector in the UK and the prospect of further growth is excellent news for both the port and the city of Hull. A recent feasibility study commissioned by Hull Forward in conjunction with ABP, Hull City Council and Visit Hull and East Yorkshire has found that a dedicated cruise terminal at the port would be of enormous benefit to the local economy.
- ends -
 |
 |
Copyright © Associated British Ports Holdings PLC 1999-2008. All rights reserved.
Contact us
