MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Orkney Islands votes to categorize visiting cruise vessels and passenger numbers

The report to be considered by the Orkneys Council refers the cumulative magnitude of ships docking at Stromness harbour

The Orkney Islands Council (OIC) unveiled a strategic blueprint to navigate the bustling waters of cruise ship tourism. Foremost among its provisions is the imposition of constraints on the size of vessels permitted to grace the island's shores on any given day. The proposal (Cruise Booking and Confirmation Policy) stands at the threshold of approval by Councilors.

Past chapters in this saga have witnessed the OIC striving to grapple with the dynamic currents of the cruise industry. A notable attempt arose in 2014 when the harbinger of Orkney's maritime affairs declared its intentions to eschew cruise ships whose combined passenger numbers might eclipse 4,500 souls.

OIC acknowledges in a forthcoming report that orchestrating the crescendo of cruise bookings in alignment with the 2014 directive has been a challenging endeavor. Where before saw the zenith of passengers crest around 4,800, the maritime diary of 2023 speaks of an even grander number - ~6,090 souls.

In this new maritime proposal, a compass bearing toward management emerges. Rather than tethering their focus solely on passenger quotas, the policy eloquently delineates a framework based on the dimensions of the maritime behemoths. Cruise liners are stratified into five distinct categories, each defined by the number of passengers they accommodate.

• Category One holds vessels harboring up to 500 passengers.
• Category Two welcomes 501 to 1500 travelers.
• Category Three stands for 1501 to 2500 tourists.
• Category Four encompasses 2501 to 5000; and Category Five is for the largest vessels transporting 5000+ passengers.

The report elegantly states that the cumulative magnitude of ships docking at Hatston Pier and gracing the Kirkwall Bay Anchorage should never transcend the sum of Category Five.

This maritime manuscript is now poised for its climactic chapter. The deliberations by elected members on the harbor authority subcommittee, scheduled for this week's meeting, herald the unfolding tale of Orkney's maritime future.