Aberdeen has finished a record cruise season, with about 54,000 passengers arriving at the city’s port in 2026, a rise of 26 per cent on last year. The Port of Aberdeen says bookings for future seasons now stretch as far ahead as 2033.
The season brought 71 cruise calls, and port managers say the size of the ships marked a step change. Close to half of those calls were made by vessels measuring 220 metres or more, while combined gross tonnage rose by 24 per cent to almost 2.5 million. There were 13 maiden calls, among them the 294-metre Norwegian Star, which became the longest ship ever to berth at the Aberdeen facility. Viking was the busiest operator, sending ships to the port 21 times, and the lines that called covered the expedition, luxury, premium and mainstream ends of the market.
Bob Sanguinetti, chief executive of the Port of Aberdeen, said cruise tourism was “creating an ocean of opportunity for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire”. He said the port was working closely with VisitAberdeenshire and other regional partners to bring in new cruise lines and strengthen relationships with operators that already visit. The arrivals have also delivered extra footfall and spending for attractions, shops and hospitality businesses across the North-east.
Volunteers played a bigger part this year. VisitAberdeenshire’s Welcome to Aberdeenshire programme had 42 volunteers, who together gave 1,250 hours over the season greeting passengers on the quayside and offering advice on where to go. Under the CruiseAberdeenshire partnership, the port and the tourism body also marketed the region at industry events in the UK as well as in Gran Canaria, Miami and Reykjavik. Chris Foy, chief executive of VisitAberdeenshire, said the sector in the North-east was “on the crest of a wave”, adding that the partnership continued to raise the profile of the city and shire, bringing in new business and encouraging people to return.
The figures add to a broader picture of cruise tourism as a growing earner for Scotland. Research by Oxford Economics found the sector generated £343 million for the Scottish economy in 2023. With bookings already in the diary until 2033, the port and its tourism partners are now working to build on this year’s numbers by attracting more large vessels and new cruise lines to the Granite City.
