Schooners visit opens new horizons (From Western Telegraph)

Schooners visit opens new horizons

The arrival in the Milford Haven Waterway last week of the luxury schooner Sea Cloud II could herald a new era of cruise liners visiting the port. Brilliant sunshine greeted the Sea Cloud II and its American passengers as they entered the haven, and they could not have had a better introduction to Pembrokeshire.

The 384-foot luxury yacht - powered by 29,687 square feet area of sails supported by two four-stroke engines - was on a British Isles golf cruise, taking in nine championship golf courses.

The schooner berthed at Pembroke Port, where the 94 American passengers disembarked and spent the day at Tenby Golf Course. There was a musical send off for the Sea Cloud II, and crowds of people turned out to see the yacht depart.

Milford Haven Port Authority in partnership with Pembrokeshire County Council and the WDA has established a marketing strategy to attract cruise liners. The berth at Pembroke Port has been deepened to accommodate larger ships.

In its annual report, the Port Authority states: The cruise market is one of the fastest growing sectors in the leisure market, with a constant search among cruise operators for that extra edge that enables them to provide something different from the more traditional cruising in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean,.

In this context, South West Wales is severely under-represented in the programmes of UK-based cruise operators. Given the high spending characteristics of cruise passengers on their day excursions, the fact that by definition there are no demands placed on high quality overnight accommodation ashore which may be difficult to cater for in Pembrokeshire, and the fact that the physical handling requirement of cruise ships can be well accommodated within the exiting infrastructure, particularly Pembroke Dock Ferry Terminal and Pembroke Port, then this area is a distinct target market.

The real benefit of all such calls will be to the general economy of Pembrokeshire rather than the Port Authority or its constituent companies which, while certainly obtaining revenue from dues and handling, sees its role more as acting as a catalyst for the wider benefit of the region.