By
Alex Smith |
Portland Port recorded a record year for cruise activity in 2025 following a short-notice call by Saga’s Spirit of Discovery.
The port hosted 64 cruise calls during the year, the highest total recorded in a single calendar year. The visit by Spirit of Discovery also meant that Portland welcomed cruise vessels in every month from January to December for the first time.
The vessel, which was also the first cruise ship to call at Portland in January 2025, diverted to the port due to adverse weather while sailing from Portsmouth to the Canary Islands on a Christmas cruise carrying nearly 1,000 guests.
In total, close to 100,000 passengers arrived on vessels from 20 cruise lines during the year. Portland Port estimates that cruise activity contributed approximately £10 million ($13.4 million) to the local economy in 2025.
“It was fitting that the Spirit of Discovery was our first call of the year and then our final call of 2025,” said Ian McQuade, commercial general manager of Portland Port and chair of Cruise Britain. “We are grateful to all those who have helped made 2025 a record year, including our welcome team, shuttle bus operators, residents and those in shop and businesses. Plans are already well advanced for 2026, and the years beyond, which will be announced in due course.”
First-time callers in 2025 included Ocean Albatros, AIDAluna, Le Boreal, Carnival Miracle, MS Europa 2, Ambition, Seven Seas Grandeur, Norwegian Jewel and Viking Vela. Other cruise lines calling at Portland during the year included Saga, Princess, Ponant, Seabourn, Carnival, TUI, Hapag-Lloyd, Fred Olsen, Ambassador, Phoenix and Holland America Line. AIDA Cruises’ AIDAsol made eight calls to Portland during the year, while Silversea deployed three vessels – Silver Spirit, Silver Dawn and Silver Shadow – for a total of six calls.
Portland Port opened a £26 million ($34.9 million) deepwater berth in 2023, allowing the port to accommodate vessels of up to 350 metres in length on opposite berths on the same day.