A&P Falmouth welcomed one of the world’s newest cruise liners to the port last week when the Viking Jupiter arrived for a day’s stop-over on only its fifth voyage.

The ship, which has nine decks and can carry 930 passengers, was on its 13-day inaugural "Northbound Repositioning Cruise" from the Mediterranean to the Baltic Sea when it called in at Falmouth.

It was the first of five cruise ships which are due to visit Falmouth this month. Following close on her heels, and docking at Falmouth’s International Cruise Terminal, on Monday (May 6) was the Ocean Adventurer; and then came the Prisendam on Wednesday with the Seabourn Quest on Thursday. The Amadea will visit Falmouth, but remain at anchor in Falmouth Bay, on May 28.

The busy schedule reflects A&P Falmouth’s commitment to attract more liners to the port, with each ship providing a welcome boost to the town and the county’s economy.

Drystan Jones, A&P Falmouth’s Port Operations Director, said: “This is the second year Viking Cruises have come to A&P Falmouth and they have already booked again for 2020.

“There is a strong demand from cruise companies who want to visit Falmouth and A&P Falmouth is committed to sustaining and building on that business”.

Cruise ship passengers spend a minimum of £90 each in Falmouth per day, but the financial benefits are also felt by companies along the supply chain, such as transport firms and marine outfitters.

Around half of all passengers also leave Falmouth to head to attractions further afield, such as the Eden Project and Land’s End.

A&P Falmouth's Marine Operations Manager, Mark Rickard, was one of the first on board to welcome the Viking Jupiter to Falmouth and exchanged plaques with the ship's caption.

Falmouth’s mayor Grenville Chappel and Richard Wilcox, manager of the Falmouth BID (Business Improvement District), also visited the ship and reiterated the importance of the cruise visits to Falmouth.

Mr Wilcox said: “The cruise ship market is extremely important to Falmouth and Cornwall; its economic impact is significant, both in terms of visitor spend and supply chain, and so proactive efforts are made to further grow and develop this vital strand of the Cornish visitor economy.

“In a rapidly expanding and competitive marketplace, we work closely as a Town Team – Falmouth BID, Falmouth Town Council, A&P, Cruise Ship Ambassadors, Harbour Commissioners, OTS Transport – to ensure that each visit is extremely well managed and our cruise ship visitors have a memorable experience.

“We know from the positive feedback received from the organisations we work with, that going the extra mile in terms of support and service is highly valued. So we continue to foster productive relationships to ensure Falmouth is placed highly on the itineraries of many cruise ship companies.”

Mr Chappel added: “The cruise ship visits provide an important boost to the profits of many shops, bars, cafes and other businesses in Falmouth and the surrounding areas. We would like to see many more calling in.”