Guest blog by Karen Perrow, manger of the Dartmouth Visitor Centre.
Dartmouth will experience its busiest cruise days in the coming week, with the arrival of two luxurious ships and a total of 1,000 passengers.
On Saturday, June 10, six star Silver Wind, belonging to award winning company Silversea, will arrive on her maiden visit. She will be moored mid-river, so it is well worth coming along between 11:00 and 18:00 to see this beautiful vessel from the Embankment.
Holding just under 300 passengers, she is significantly larger than the explorer ships we are used to seeing here.
Silver Wind arrives from Cardiff and will proceed on to London – disembarking her guests at Tower Bridge, two days later.
The Nauti Buoys shanty band will be on the Town Jetty to welcome passengers.
Silver Wind is closely followed by Regent Seven Seas Explorer on June 13 between 08:30 and 17:00. RSSC Explorer will be less accessible, as her size precludes her from entering the Dart. That said she can be seen from the Castle and the coastal paths.
The Explorer is only a year old and was claimed to be the most luxurious ship ever built, bringing a new standard in sophisticated glamour. Guests enjoy butler service, three speciality restaurants and a Culinary Arts Centre. She arrives from Cobh and departs for Southampton.
Whilst both ships are offering local tours for some passengers, these trips will not be taken up by all guests, so tourist information will be readily available as they disembark and a member of the Dartmouth Visitor Service will be offering advice onboard.
The Mayoral party will be visiting both ships in order to hand the Dartmouth town plaque to each of the captains.