The Plymouth and South West cruise ship season with tall ship visitors starts in Plymouth from the 17th of March to the 21st of March.
Tourist chiefs are expecting a bumper year in terms of passenger numbers coming through local ports in Plymouth, Falmouth, and other coastal towns in the region.
Cattewater Harbour Commissioners and Plymouth tourist bosses have announced the schedule of visiting vessels to the city for 2026, which kicks off with the 68-foot Falmouth pilot cutter ‘The Pellow’, launched in February 2020 in Cornwall.
The tall ship was designed and equipped for various sailing activities, including expeditions and sail training, and is due to berth at the Barbican Landing Stage on the 17th of March.
‘The Spirit of Cornwall’, a 92-foot wooden gaff-rigged tall ship, and a replica of the Mersey Pilot Schooner will also be arriving as part of the (Starboard Veterans Sailing Charity and Invictus Games 2,000-nautical-mile circumnavigation of the UK).
A regular cruise visitor to Plymouth, the MV Seabourn Ovation luxury cruise liner, at nearly 48,000 tonnes, will start Plymouth’s cruise ship year on the 29th of April and will anchor in the Sound.
Another popular cruise visitor to Plymouth is the MV Artania (Phoenix Reisen), arriving on May 10th.
Our online readers will remember when the luxury vessel had an emergency onboard when a passenger fell ill- and a helicopter was scrambled to deal with the medical emergency- and landed on the Plymouth Hoe promenade in 2004.
The vintage steamer PS Waverley is arriving from the 22nd of May to the 24th of May.
On the 26th of May and 10th of September, the lady of the sea, MV Ambition, is back in the Sound again (Ambassador Cruise Line) with 680 cabins and a capacity for 1200 guests.
The flagship of the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, Evrima, arrives on the 27th of June and the 4th of July.The vessel was launched in 2022 and is a Malta-registered ship operated by Marriott International subsidiary ‘The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company’.
A beautifully designed luxury superyacht, the Evrima offers 149 suites and boasts fine boutique dining at its very best. The luxury yacht accommodates up to 298 guests and 246 crew members.
Maiden voyage to Plymouth is the P&O Cruises ship the Aurora arriving with around 1,900 passengers on the 23rd of July. The vessel is known for its timeless elegance and adults-only cruise ship.
(All the dates on shipping visits are subject to weather and schedule changes).
Falmouth’s cruise ship season starts on April 1st with the huge cruise ship the (HAL) Rotterdam at 100,000 tonnes.
Tourist bosses in Falmouth are expected to welcome up to 80,000 passengers, thousands of crew members, and 50 ships booked to visit the historic port in 2026.
Westward Shipping News is looking to capture some of the vessels throughout the year, and all arrivals in Plymouth will be spotted on our live webcams.
