Following the exciting news that the London cruise terminal in Greenwich has been given the green light, we have decided to turn our attention to which ships could soon be winding their way down the River Thames to the new port.
The new cruise terminal is due to open in 2017, and it has been revealed that ships with lengths up to 750ft and capacities of up to 1,600 guests will be able to dock at the port. This gives us an insight into the ships which could soon be calling in at London. Although the world’s largest cruise ships will not be able to squeeze into the terminal, many leading lines will be able to dock ships in London from 2017.
Here we speculate about the ships which could soon be coming to London.
P&O Adonia
By the time the London cruise terminal opens, the P&O Adonia will have transferred to the new cruise line, Fathom. The ship will become the first member of the brand new fleet, designed to offer social impact cruise trips. Itineraries to Cuba and the Dominican Republic have already been slated for the new ship.
However, its length of 592ft means it could potentially visit London. This could allow the line to recruit social impact tourists from the UK and Europe to complete visits to areas of the world which require aid and assistance.
HAL Statendam Class
The four ships of Holland America Line’s Statendam Class could become regular visitors to London. MS Statendam, Maasdam, Ryndam, and Veendam currently perform a range of itineraries throughout the world including specialist Alaskan cruises and trips to Australia, New England and the Mediterranean.
London may soon be added to the class’ long list of itineraries – giving the line great access to Western Europe and the USA’s east coast.
Pacific Princess
The smallest ship in the Princess Cruises fleet fits the requirements to become a London Cruise Terminal regular. The R Class ship is currently operated by P&O Australia down under – but the prospect of a major new cruise terminal in the UK could influence Princess Cruises to move the ship back up to Europe.
Azamara Journey & Quest
The two ships in the luxury Azamara Club Cruise fleet are small and exclusive enough to dock at the upcoming London terminal. The two ships offer an incredible array of exclusive itineraries around the world – visiting stunning cities and unique sites. As one of the world’s most visited cities – London would undoubtedly be a fantastic feather to add to Azamara’s cap.
Celebrity Xpedition
Small enough to fit down the Thames, it’s still unlikely the Celebrity Xpedition will ever arrive in London – unless the UK becomes home to endangered species. The Xpedition currently specialises in small capacity trips to the Galapagos Islands, giving tourists the chance to view the unique ecosystem of that very special part of the Earth.
As London cruise itineraries start to be announced, we will keep you updated. Until then, we offer an incredible array of exclusive cruise deals visiting cities all around world. For a full list of our deals, visit our homepage or call our dedicated team on 0808 2746 777.
Images sourced via Flickr Creative Commons. Credit: Chris Parker, Tom Mascardo, Roger W, Dawn
