Liverpool Cruise Terminal: 10th anniversary and plans for the future

As we approach 10 years since the opening of the Liverpool Cruise Terminal, Your Move looks back on the crucial role the Princes Parade facility has played in some of the city’s most unforgettable events and examines what its future plans could mean for Liverpool’s thriving tourism offer.

Words by Lawrence Saunders

The sight of thousands packed onto the waterfront enjoying a thrilling fireworks show as a giant cruise ship sails up the River Mersey has become a regular one here in Liverpool.

It seems as though every other week the city welcomes or waves goodbye to another colossal vessel with all the pomp and circumstance of a Disneyland parade.

This September will mark 10 years since the Liverpool Cruise Terminal was relocated from the North Docks to a prime spot in front of the Three Graces.

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Some of the world’s grandest and most distinguished ships have visited the city in the intervening period including one unforgettable weekend in 2015 when the Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria and Queen Mary 2 marked Cunard’s 175th anniversary with a waltz on the water.

Those two days in May saw the banks of the Mersey heave with over 1 million people and proved a boon to visitor economies on both sides of the river.

Now, when you consider the fact that in the last decade more than 700,000 passengers and crew members have passed through the Liverpool Cruise Terminal, generating an estimated £50m for the local economy – the importance of this facility to Liverpool’s tourism offer is clear.

“When you see one of those cruise liners empty and the passengers spill onto the streets it’s just fantastic.”

“The Liverpool Cruise Terminal has played an absolutely integral part in growing the destination offer of the city,” says Angie Redhead, head of city assets (cruise, city halls and tourist information).

“Because this terminal is owned and operated by the Liverpool City Council we are under the umbrella of Culture Liverpool and we’ve moved certain big ship visits to coincide with major events and vice versa – they dovetail perfectly.

“The likes of the Tall Ships and military vessels are all able to berth in the middle of the city and it allows them [Culture Liverpool] to add those bells and whistles and create those events out of things which might not normally be considered an event.”

Since its inauguration in 2007, the Liverpool Cruise Terminal has welcomed over 350 cruise ships from more than 30 different cruise liners including big names like Fred Olsen, Disney and of course, Cunard.

“When you see one of those cruise liners empty and the passengers spill onto the streets it’s just fantastic,” says Claire McColgan, director or Culture Liverpool.

“It’s constantly surprising that many of the people who get off those cruise ships have never been to Liverpool before and the comments that we’ve had back just show how blown away so many people are by the city.

“These people will go back to wherever they’re from and talk to friends about it and it will increase tourism that way, as well as directly from the cruise.”

 

 

Given the volume of ship visits over the last decade, you’d be inclined to forgive  Liverpudlians if their enthusiasm for the events began to diminish, but this couldn’t be further from the truth according to Angie.

“Their interest has not waned in these 10 years – if anything it has grown.

“The economic impact is great but the civic pride of the people of Liverpool seeing passenger ships back at Pier Head is also really important.”

Despite being in operation now for almost 10 years, the Liverpool Cruise Terminal was originally built as a temporary facility.

In February, Liverpool City Council identified the former Princes Jetty, off Princes Parade, as the location for a new permanent £50m facility.

Engineering consultancy Ramboll has been chosen to lead a highly skilled technical team to develop the new terminal which it’s envisaged will include supplementary projects such as a 200-plus room hotel and multi-storey car park.

“The temporary cruise liner building has been a tremendous success and served us well, but a city of Liverpool’s standing and ambition needs a permanent building if we are to continue the growth we’ve seen in recent years,” said Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson earlier this year.

This new facility, which the council hopes to have up and running in 2020, will allow much larger ships to embark and disembark here in Liverpool.

“We want to attract the big cruise ships – they put huge amounts of money into the economy and it’s kind of where this city started.”

“It’s [the current terminal facility] great for mid-size, 1,000 passenger ships like Cruise & Maritime Voyages and Fred Olsen liners, but our aspirations are much bigger than that,” adds Angie.

“We want 3,500 people to be able to embark and disembark from our existing Pier Head facility so what we are building is a new iconic building on the shore side, towards the north end of Princes Parade, which will facilitate that passenger operation.”

Meanwhile Claire hopes this new ‘turnaround’ facility will help boost tourist numbers, especially at weekends when the city is noticeably quieter.

“To have a proper turnaround facility, a landmark building, really is a statement of where we want to be as a city and it’s hugely important for the future,” adds Claire.

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“Tourism is one of our fastest growing economies but you’ve got to keep changing the story in order to keep people coming back and I think the cruise terminal growing will completely do that.

“At weekends we’re busy as a city whereas it’s still quieter on Mondays and Tuesdays but what’s brilliant is when you see a ship roll in on a wet weekday and all you hear is German voices around Albert Dock you know what impact it’s making.

“We’re not there yet, we’ve got a long way to go before we can match Barcelona or Venice, but we want to attract the big cruise ships – they put huge amounts of money into the economy, it’s brilliant for the city and it’s kind of where this city started.”