NEWS
Trial sailing halts as Thomson Cruises is denied access to new £17m terminal
TUI’s cruise plans run
aground in Liverpool
Chloe Berman
chloe.berman@rbi.co.uk
TUI Travel’s plans to operate
Thomson Cruises from Liverpool
have been shelved after the
operator was refused use of the
city’s new £17 million cruise
ship terminal.
Thomson Cruises was considering
introducing a cruise
programme on its Thomson
Celebration ship from the new
Pierhead terminal for 2009.
However, during two trial
cruises last month it was forced
to use the dilapidated Langton
Dock in Bootle, as the new terminal
lacks the facilities for
outbound cruises. Customers
on one of the trial cruises,
Taste of Ireland, spent three
days moored at Langton Docks
because of bad weather.
TUI Travel director of cruising
David Selby accused “interested
parties,” thought to be Liverpool
City Council and owners
of Mersey Docks Peer Holdings,
of failing to co-operate.
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Thomson
Celebration
got stranded
in Bootle’s
narrow
Langton Dock
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“We would have preferred
to go from the new terminal
but ended up at Langdon
Docks, which is too narrow to
navigate through, especially in
bad weather.
“If they can fi nd a way of
doing turnaround cruises at
the new terminal then we
would be more likely to sail out
of Liverpool. We wouldn’t rule
it out for the future.”
Selby denied the decision
was prompted by the economic
downturn or lack of demand.
43%
57%
Cruise agents in the Liverpool
area said they were very
disappointed that the cruise
centre would not materialise.
Liverpool Cruise Club sales
and marketing manager Dave
Eastwood said: “This is devastating
for customers in the
northwest. It would have saved
them travelling down to Dover
or Southampton.”
Claire Garside, branch manager
of The Co-operative Travel
in Prescot, added: “We were
disappointed to hear Thomson
Cruises had decided not to
proceed with its plans, especially
as there is a big appetite
for cruising in the northwest.”
For daily news go to
www.travelweekly.co.uk
IN BRIEF
THOMAS COOK SPORT
ACQUIRES AIRTRACK
Thomas Cook Sport has
acquired motor sport travel
package provider Airtrack for
an undisclosed sum. Airtrack
will operate as usual from its
offi ces in Middlesex. No other
changes are planned.
ON HOLIDAY GROUP
LICENSING DEAL
On Holiday Group has
announced a licensing
agreement to run Travelzestowned
sites holiday.co.uk and
fl ight.co.uk. The move is
expected to cut running costs
of holiday.co.uk by 40%.
Travelzest is also ditching the
Holiday Express agency brand,
while TUI Travel is expected to
fi nalise a £28 million off er to
buy Travelzest next month.
FIRST CHOICE GIVES
ECOTOURISM TO KIDS
First Choice is introducing a
programme for schools to
help children learn about
ecotourism and the dangers
of climate change. Students
aged seven to 11 will complete
eight activity sheets on
destinations such as Kenya.
November 7 2008 | Travel Weekly | 7
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