The Port of Aberdeen has welcomed its largest-ever ship, the Costa Faolosa cruise vessel, a year after its most popular summer season on record. 

The 290-metre-long Concordia-class cruise ship is operated by Costa Cruises, an Italian line with a fleet of nine that operates globally. 

“It is wonderful to welcome the Costa Favolosa to Port of Aberdeen. Her arrival is testament to the hard work of many - the port team who delivered the transformational South Harbour, which enables us to welcome ships of this stature, our marine and operational teams, and all our CruiseAberdeenshire partners who have been focused on raising the profile of our amazing region and all it has to offer,” said Marlene Mitchell, the commercial manager at the Port of Aberdeen. 

The Port said its cruise business had continued to increase year-on-year since its new deepwater South Harbour opened for the 2023 UK summer season. 

This year Aberdeen has recorded a season of 60 cruise calls, which it said is a 150% increase from 2022. It reported 43 calls in 2023. 

The calls already booked up to 2027 should push the port beyond 100 arrivals, according to its own estimates. 

“It’s thrilling to see Port of Aberdeen welcome Costa Favolosa, the largest cruise ship ever to call. The Port’s development of South Harbour is playing a key role in bringing more ships and more planned tourism benefits to the city and to Aberdeenshire as a whole,” said Ian McQuade, chair of Cruise Britain. 

“A call into Aberdeen is a growing part of the region’s cruise itineraries and Cruise Britain is delighted to support the port,” he added.

The increased traffic is the result of work by the local tourist board, VisitAberdeenshire, and its “Cruise Aberdeenshire” project. The arrivals have a positive impact on the local economy, including the whisky trade and local agriculture.  

Christina Polson, founder of Aberdeen business Farm Stop said: “The cruise ships coming into Aberdeen are a tremendous boost for the tourist economy and are a great way to showcase our stunning coastline and everything Aberdeenshire has to offer. We are lucky to have had visitors from the cruise ships come to Farm Stop and are looking forward to welcoming more in the future.”