MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands' biggest ever cruise ship day a success

“Stanley a wonderful, authentic, wayout destination”, tourist comment

On Tuesday 4th December 2007 the Falkland Islands experienced its biggest ever cruise ship day, welcoming 3,779 passengers from three different vessels in to the heart of Stanley.

The Infinity, Discovery and Norwegian Dream completed their first visit to the Falklands of the season amid mixed weather conditions. The last count conducted by Port Security at 1.30pm (the point at which passengers began to return to their vessels) revealed that 3,779 passengers chose to come ashore, equivalent to 94% of all available passengers*. FITB General Manager Jake Downing commented that despite the large demands placed on operators and local residents, the day was a great success. Firm management and a cooperative approach from tour operators ensured that traffic in the Jetty Visitor Centre car park (the starting point for most passenger tours), flowed well with few congestion issues. Similarly, the car park surface stood up to the rigors of weather and use, with little evidence of the day's activities present at the close of business. The Royal Falkland Islands Police deployed two additional officers on the day to deal with the influx of visitors, but were pleased to report no major incidents. Even the lunchtime rush of vehicles at 12noon and 1pm was event-free, with drivers displaying great courtesy and patience. Officers on duty reported answering plenty of questions from tourists, particularly as to where they could sit down and enjoy some tea, coffee, and cakes. As it was the busiest day on record the Tourist Board took the opportunity to survey passengers on their satisfaction with public amenities and general perceptions of the Falklands. Initial results show that the majority of passengers found their Falklands experience very enjoyable,but would like to see more shelter for tourists (particularly when waiting for tenders), as well as more eateries providing quick snacks (tea, coffee and cakes). One tourist, a US citizen who joined their cruise three weeks previously in Fort Lauderdale, commented that Stanley was a wonderful, authentic destination, and had been the highlight of his cruise thus far. Despite a weak US dollar the Jetty Visitor Centre experienced its third biggest day of sales in the past two seasons, with other local retailers expected to experience similar results. The Tourist Board also issued a brief survey to local operators regarding their perceptions of the day, results will be publicly issued in the coming weeks. * Mark Spicer from Port Security gave details of yesterday's landings: of the 4,004 passengers onboard all three vessels, 3,779 came ashore: Infinity 1,963 aboard with 1,810 landing; Discovery with 424 coming ashore; Norwegian Dream had 1,621 onboard with 1,545 coming ashore. Figures include small numbers of staff and crew