Almost 5,000 guests arrived at the port’s South Harbour aboard two major cruise ships
The Port of Aberdeen welcomed its longest-ever vessel, the 294-metre-long Norwegian Star cruise ship, on July 15, 2026.
The Norwegian Cruise Line vessel arrived at the port’s South Harbour from Newhaven with 2,366 guests on board and will depart for Bergen following a day-long stopover. Spanning 15 decks, Norwegian Star has a gross tonnage of 91,470.
Shortly after, AIDAsol, AIDA Cruises’ 253m-long vessel, also berthed at South Harbour with 2,511 guests on board.
Guests received a traditional Scottish welcome from Robert Gordon’s College Pipe Band and Alba Bagpipes and were greeted on the quayside by VisitAberdeenshire’s Welcome to Aberdeenshire volunteers. They disembarked for sightseeing and excursions in the city centre and across Aberdeenshire.
Bob Sanguinetti DL, CEO of Port of Aberdeen, said: “Welcoming our longest-ever vessel sets a new benchmark for Port of Aberdeen and demonstrates the scale and versatility of South Harbour. It enables us to handle maritime giants like Norwegian Star alongside jack-up rigs, anchor handlers, cargo ships and more. Achievements like this are made possible by a team that puts safety first and delivers for every customer.”
The two vessels are among the highlights of Port of Aberdeen’s busiest-ever cruise season, with 75 calls scheduled to bring up to 57,000 guests to the region. This compares with 65 calls and 49,000 guests in 2025, representing a significant boost for communities and businesses across the North East.
More than half of this season’s calls are from vessels measuring over 200m, demonstrating the expanded capacity provided by South Harbour and enabling an ever-growing number of cruise guests to explore Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
Port of Aberdeen and VisitAberdeenshire work together under the CruiseAberdeenshire brand to attract new and returning cruise lines, with an ambition to reach 100 calls per season in the years ahead.
The partnership will showcase the best of Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire at Seatrade Cruise Med in Gran Canaria (stand 1B65) this September, following successful industry events in Miami and Reykjavik earlier in the year.
Chris Foy, CEO, VisitAberdeenshire, said: “It is a real pleasure to know that thousands of visitors will enjoy their first experience of Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire hospitality today, adding to an increasing tally of guests from overseas who are discovering the delights of our region through cruise ship calls.
“We have an exceptionally strong offer to attract cruise lines to our shores: the convenience of our City and Shire attractions; the capability of Port of Aberdeen to meet their technical requirements; and the confidence that their guests and crew will receive a world class welcome.”
The previous record was held by Costa Cruises’ 290m-long Costa Favolosa, which called at Port of Aberdeen in July 2024.
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