Cowes Harbour welcomed the first cruise ship visit of the year on April 22, when the Hanseatic Inspiration made her maiden call to the Isle of Wight.
“Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is honored to be making the first international cruise ship call this year at Cowes Harbour. It is a very special occasion for us since our expedition vessel the Hanseatic inspiration has never called at the Isle of Wight before,” said Julian Pfitzner, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd.
According to a statement, to celebrate the occasion, the captain of the Hanseatic Inspiration, Captain Ulf Wolter and Gary Hall, Cowes Harbour Commission chief executive, exchanged commemorative plaques during Cowes Parade.
“Cruise ship visits are an excellent way to share the beauty and hospitality of the Isle of Wight with more visitors, and we are working hard to make Cowes a call of choice for the smaller luxury cruise ships,” said Gary Hall, Cowes Harbour Commission chief executive.
After disembarking at Trinity Landing, cruise guests from Germany, Netherlands and Belgium enjoyed exploring Cowes in the spring sunshine while others took a scenic coach tour of the Island.
“It is our pleasure to welcome Hanseatic Inspiration to Cowes, and we look forward to welcoming her and her sister Hapag-Lloyd Cruise ships back to Cowes later this year,” added Hall
The Hanseatic Inspiration is the first of 15 cruise ships due to call in Cowes this year. The next vessel will be the Sea Cloud Spirit, arriving on June 10.