There seems to be general agreement that the 2005-2006 cruise ship season in the Falkland Islands has been the best and busiest ever, with only a handful of larger ships failing to make their scheduled visits.
The most disappointing day was January 16th when bad weather prevented, both Regal Princess (cap.1596) and Millennium (Cap.1950) from visiting Stanley.
By March 31st when the cruise ship season ends with the visit of the Norwegian Crown to Stanley, the Falklands will have enjoyed a total of 170 cruise ship calls throughout the Islands and some 70 calls to Stanley, putting ashore in the Falkland Islands capital something in excess of 40,000 passengers.
The increase in numbers has been matched by an increase in the number of excursions available, the
take-up of which has also topped previous levels, according to Debbie Summers, Tourism Development Manager for Sulivan Shipping Ltd. port agents and the major provider of on-shore excursions operating in Stanley. Her estimate is that some 60% of passengers take one of the tours sold on the ships.
Top of the list of popularity of the excursions that Sulivan offer to visiting ships has been the Stanley Highlight tour, followed closely by excursions to see the penguin colonies at the Murrel Farm and Bluff Cove. Nor have people and life-style been neglected with a visit to a traditional Falklands farm at Long Island consistently winning high approval ratings from visitors.
With Stephanie Middleton , Tourism Manager of the Falkland Islands Company, Stanley's other principal port agency, Debbie Summers has just returned from attending the Seatrades Convention in Miami Florida, an annual event which brings together in one place all the components of the global cruising industry, including all of the major cruise lines. Both, by their own accounts, have spent an interesting time attempting to generate new business for the Falklands, maintaining old contacts and generally 'taking the pulse 'of the global industry of which they are a part.
Trends detected at the Seatrades Convention include the possibility that the Falklands will soon see even bigger ships than ever before. Next season, Sulivan Shipping will be agents for the Golden Princess which is due to bring a potential 3,500 passengers to Stanley on each of its visits throughout the season. This is not the outer limit of ship size, however. Cruise ships currently on the slips or in the planning stage include some monsters capable of carrying between 6.5 to 7 thousand passengers.
Not that all the cruise ships of the future will be monsters. Debbie Summers reports that 'expedition ships' - those that have the capacity to put their passengers ashore in zodiacs in remote places such as Antarctica and South Georgia ? are also being forced by rising costs and market expectations to be bigger, better appointed and more luxurious than previously. It is likely, thinks Sulivan Shipping's Tourism Development Manager, that the Falklands will see less of the small, usually Russian-owned, ships with a capacity between 40 and 150 passengers and more ships capable of carrying around 300 passengers in considerable style and comfort.
One of the key areas for cruise ship passenger satisfaction is that of the on-shore excursion. Another trend spotted at the Seatrades Convention by Debbie Summers is that passengers are wanting more out of each day on board and are using the Internet before arriving at any given destination n an attempt to secure the best tours giving the best possible value.
This perception of the importance of shore excursions is shared by the Falkland Island Company Ltd., who this season launched their own fleet of three smart new 16 seater minibuses and also imported one of London Transport's newly retired Routemaster buses to provide a shuttle service between the Visitor Centre and the museum. Although these vehicles arrived in the Islands too late to be properly promoted, Steph Middleton is confident that the smaller, more personal, tour with a knowledgeable driver-guide is the way to go. FIC will be extending its minibus fleet for next season and marketing some new tours based on their use.
Is the future for cruise ship tourism to the Falklands bright? The reply from both the Falkland Islands Co. and Sulivan Shipping is a positive one. As Debbie Summers put it to Mercopress, "The future's so bright I have to wear shades!"
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