“We have recently seen a surge of bookings and this is due to the recent lifting of government travel restrictions,” said Kate O’Hara, commercial director at Port of Tyne in the UK. “We are very confident that the future will see continued growth from the Port of Tyne as we continue to attract new cruise lines to our shores.”

O’Hara said that consumers were looking ahead to 2022 and making advance bookings for future seasons.

“There is a huge amount of pent-up demand and many cruise operators have launched their itineraries earlier than usual to catch this opportunity,” she noted.

According to O’Hara, Port of Tyne’s investment into the Northumbrian Quay extension has enabled cruise operators to benefit from a larger operational area and greater access for stores.

“This was completed in March 2020 and it offers a big improvement to the facilities available for cruise lines and significantly enhances the passenger experience. Coaches can now drive right onto the quayside for the convenience of passengers who are embarking or disembarking on transit calls. The whole turnaround process is now much easier to facilitate and more efficient with our improved quayside area,” she said.