New Terminal in Greenwich for Huge Cruise Ships
Large cruise ships could become a familiar sight on the Thames if plans for a new passenger terminal in Greenwich move forward.
London could soon become a popular destination for large cruise ships in two years as new passenger terminal planned for Greenwich. It would be the first passenger terminal in London for at least 35 years.
The Times reports that detailed plans for the terminal will be submitted “within weeks”, allowing it to open “within two years”.
The dockside hub could allow ships more than 650ft long to stop near the Old Royal Naval College and the Cutty Sark.
At the moment, there are two moorings for small cruise ships in the capital: a small floating pontoon in Greenwich, which requires passengers to board or disembark via a launch, and another at Tower Bridge.
Silversea's Silver Cloud and Windstar Cruises' newest ship Star Legend are among those mooring at Tower Bridge this summer, while Greenwich will accommodate MS Europa, Hebridean Princess and Viking Ocean Cruises' first ship, Viking Star.
According to the paper, rather than becoming a stopping point for cruise ships, as had been intended when planning permission for the terminal was first approved in 2012, new plans would see the dock used as a “turnaround” destination, where voyages start and finish.
London City Cruise Port CEO told The Times that there was “tremendous excitement and interest” from the passenger shipping industry in using the new facility.