Whilst the port of Falmouth remains in a state of limbo regarding the capital dredging scheme other ports in Western Europe are reaping huge benefits from improved infrastructure programmes to attract the major cruise companies writes David Barnicoat.

Port authorities around the region have grabbed the mantle and acted quickly and decisively to regenerate their ports. This past month with idyllic weather we have seen Cornwall in its prime - a world class visitor destination with so much to offer the traveller. Yet Falmouth, Cornwall's largest port has been held in a death-like stranglehold by the environmental lobby for over a decade as it awaits the final decision on dredging the harbour.

Keeping abreast of the latest cruise industry news in Europe makes depressing reading as Falmouth stagnates.

At Tallinn, Estonia, a £7 million cruiseship quay allowing larger vessels to be docked has been opened. Princess Cruises' Royal Princess, at 330m in length the largest cruise vessel to have visited Estonia to date, was the first to call.

Cruiseships up to 340m in length, 42m beam and with 9m draught are able to moor at the new quay.

The volume of bottom dredging amounted to a total of 12,300 cubic metres.

This season Tallinn will host about 300 vessels bringing approximately 470,000 passengers to the Estonian capital.

In northern Spain the port of Bilbao attracted 44 cruise vessels in 2013 bringing 57,000 passengers to the Basque Country. For the 2014 Season, a 25% increase is forecast for both cruise vessels and passengers. To cater to the growing demand the port authority opened its new £10 million 354m-long pier with a 12m draught alongside its existing facility when Princess Cruises' Emerald Princess called.

On May 27, Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis hosted three calls with Le Boreal, Marco Polo and Funchal calling. This year 40 calls are booked with 12,000 passengers expected, quite a leap from the 9,500 visiting in 2010.

Stornoway's chief executive Jane Maciver commented: “Increasing the number of cruise visits to the islands is something that benefits the whole island economy in the long term.

Across the Channel in Le Havre the port expects 122 cruise calls equating to 250, 000 passengers. Peak months are May (28 calls), August (19 calls), and September (25 calls).

The Biscay port of Bordeaux saw record levels of cruise ship activity reached last month with the French port welcoming 13,000 passengers on 11 calls. This year 43 calls are expected in total compared to 39 last year, 35 in 2012 and 24 in 2011.