With the major cruise companies such as Royal Caribbean and Princess Cruises giving Falmouth a wide berth due to a lack of an alongside deep-water facilities the 2015 cruise list is looking rather mediocre writes David Barnicoat.

Only 18 ships are on the list so far which includes two calls by the Funchal and three calls by the small expedition ship Hebridean Princess.

Once again the German market is supporting Falmouth with AIDAcara, Deutschland and the Europa making four calls in total.

The 294 metres long Norwegian Star is the only ship of significant passenger capacity  (2,350) calling next year. She will anchor south of the port to tender passengers ashore to the docks.

The Port of Cork is comparable to Falmouth in terms of what it can offer to the cruise industry.  Short overnight steaming times to UK ports, culture and heritage sites for passengers to enjoy are essential factors in attracting the big names in the cruise world. But the comparison abruptly ends when the mega cruise ships are involved.

Speaking about the 2014 Cruise Season, commercial Manager at the Port of Cork, Captain Michael McCarthy said: “We have 54 cruise liners calling in 2014 which will bring another welcome boost by injecting an estimated €15 million into the local economy. Of these calls, three are maiden calls including Princess Cruise’s newest ship, Royal Princess, carrying 3,500 passengers. This cruise vessel is 330 metres in length and this is the size and style of ship we hope to continue to attract to Cobh.

With 15 vessels of a similar size scheduled for 2015 already, the Port is committed to investing in the upgrade of our current facilities in Cobh and assessing the requirement of additional facilities as the cruise sector expands.”

Without a dedicated deep water cruise berth Falmouth will in future only attract in the region of 20/25 ships per year with the town and businesses across Cornwall losing millions of pounds in lost revenue.

Cruise Europe, the organisation which represents over 100 European ports continually reports infrastructure investment programmes going on in a large number of ports in western Europe who are keen to attract new business generated by the lucrative cruise market.

In the past two months at least six ports from afar afield as Trondheim in Norway to Lisbon have announced plans for new berths and terminals.

The French Atlantic Ports of Rouen, Honfleur, Le Havre, Cherbourg, St Malo, Lorient, Bordeaux, La Rochelle, Nantes and Bayonne have launched Art de Vivre this year demonstrating the wide range of food and wine on offer to visiting passengers. The 10 ports received 303 calls and 365,000 passengers in 2013 and this year expect 320 and over 430,000.

Each port has selected something that marks it apart. For Rouen it is the annual gourmet and food festival in October; Honfleur the route de fromage; and La Rochelle oyster farm and cognac visits.

Even if the Marine Management Organisation gives the green light for the dredging of Falmouth harbour to go ahead it will be at least three years before any economic benefits are enjoyed from the increase in cruise ships coming here.

Northern Ireland and the west coast of Ireland are attracting visits from the cruise ships with Londonderry already up to ten ships next year. On the south west cost of Ireland in Bantry Bay the port is welcoming ten cruise ships this season. Granted these are anchorage ports but nevertheless the local council which recognises the huge potential to the region is exploring plans to provide a deep-water berth.

In Falmouth the dredging of the harbour saga rumbles on ad infinitum as it enters its 13th year of environmental table tennis between the port authority and government departments.

Has Falmouth fallen at the last fence yet again as it strives to become Cornwall’s port of the future? Sadly, in my opinion I fear the answer  maybe yes.