Silver Spirit arrives in Cardiff

6th May 2010

The growing reputation of Cardiff as a cruise destination received a boost yesterday following the inaugural UK call of Silverseas Cruises’ brand new flagship Silver Spirit.  

Silver Spirit was welcomed with a performance by local jazz band Wonderbrass, and in keeping with Wales’ reputation as the ‘land of song’, the Pendyrus Male Voice Choir performed a short concert of traditional anthems and show tunes on board prior to the ship’s departure.

Earlier in the day, the Lord Mayor of Cardiff, Councillor Brian Griffiths, visited the ship to present a plaque to the Captain of the Silver Spirit, Captain Angelo A Corsaro, as a memento of the ship’s first visit to Cardiff.

After a successful four-month inaugural voyage, the Silver Spirit embarked on her first transatlantic crossing from New York in late April, calling first at Ringaskiddy in Ireland, and Cardiff was the ship’s first call in the UK. She will spend the summer in the Mediterranean.

Cardiff Council’s Tourism Development Team, Associated British Ports and Cruise Wales have worked for several years to encourage cruise operators to include Cardiff in their programmes because of the significant contribution each call makes to the local economy. Cruise passengers are high spenders, and with the booking of tour guides and buses, admission to attractions, and even the stores and fuel that ships take on board when in port, a cruise call can generate thousands of pounds for the local economy. 

Many of Silver Spirit’s passengers took pre-booked excursions in and around Cardiff, while others were able to hop on shuttle buses from the port to the city centre, where they had free time to enjoy some of the city’s world-class visitor attractions and one of the UK’s top shopping centres.  Cardiff Council’s tourism team were on hand to welcome and help passengers as they disembarked, while a second team were waiting to meet them in the city centre and help them make the most of their day.  

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