More ships from liners including
Cunard Cruises and
P&O Cruises are to stop in Greenock next year as a result of a new £100,000 facility being built in the Scottish town.
Some 31 ships have already been signed up to call into the Greenock Ocean Terminal in 2010, including P&O's
Oriana and the
Queen Victoria from Cunard.
The terminal's cruise facility, which has already been in use for five months, is expected to bring 50,732 passengers to Greenock, a substantial rise on figures from the past two years.
It is estimated that the passengers and staff on board the
cruises from Greenock will improve the Inverclyde economy by approximately £2 million.
Andrew Hemphill, Clydeport's operations manager at Ocean Terminal, said: "Year on year we are building the cruise business at Greenock and 2010 will be the best to date.
"Breaking the 50,000 passenger barrier for the first time is a fantastic achievement and testament to the efforts made to improve the experience of overseas visitors arriving at Greenock."
Among the most notable residents of Greenock include Richard Wilson, perhaps most noted for playing Victor Meldrew in the television show One Foot in the Grave.
Written by Chris Smith