Making waves: Silver Wind brings international visitors to Berwick
Last updated 3 hours ago
Visitors from all around the world converged on Berwick today (Friday) as the town welcomed its first cruise ship of the year.
The Silver Wind dropped anchor just off Spittal beach as many of its 245 passengers were ferried ashore in small boats for a day's sightseeing.
It's operated by Silversea Cruises, who brought its Silver Endeavour cruise ship to Northumberland last year.
Locals lined the shore to get a glimpse of the ultra-luxury vessel which, it's claimed, offers yacht-like intimacy and a personalised butler service.
Tickets for the 12-day voyage around the British Isles were advertised at £9,700 per guest, based on two sharing a room.
It's due to dock in Leith tomorrow, having set off from London last month.
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Cruise ship visits to England's most northerly port have only been possible since 2021, following a multi-million pound upgrade of the town's landing pontoon.
David Calder, Chief Executive Officer at Berwick Harbour Commission, told Greatest Hits Radio: "This is now part of a consistent business for the Port of Berwick, and we hope it will remain so going forward in the years to come.
"We have cruise visits booked for the next two years, and this is an important part of, not just for the port, but also the local area.
"We're bringing tourists to the town who will hopefully spend some money in the local shops and restaurants.
"They're coming from America, Germany, Holland, Italy - and we've even got some local people."
While no more have been announced this year, Mr Calder revealed he's working "very hard with the agents to get more visits from the cruise companies".
"I'd love to see 10 or 20 coming into the port each year," he said.
"The cruise ships are not only good news for the port, they are also good news for the town and wider area."
It's a big year for the port, which is due to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Tweed Dock this October.
That event coincides with the 200th anniversary of Berwick Lighthouse.
"We've been here for a very long time," David added, "and, during that time, we've served the local town and area, and brought jobs and trade through Berwick."
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