Cruise ship MV Corinthian called to the Port of Barrow, Cumbria in the north-west of England as the first this season to visit the Irish Sea port operated by Associated British Ports (ABP).

Grand Circle Cruise Line which has operated for a decade the Corinthian, had arrived in the early hours of Wednesday 7 June after sailing the short distance from Douglas on the Isle of Man.

Among the main features of the five passenger deck cruise ship is a dining room, two lounges, a boutique, a Sun Deck with hot tub, and outdoor cafe and a small medical clinic.

Guests are divided into four groups of no more than 25 travelers, each with its own expert, resident Program Director and use of the ship's own Zodiac craft to explore destinations ashore.

The 290ft ship is currently on a cruise around the British Isles and the vessel with 49 cabins (215 sq ft) is scheduled to make further calls at the port between June and September. According to ABP this season is expected to the busiest year for cruise at the port.

Andrew Harston, Regional Director, Wales and Short Sea Ports, ABP said: “We were delighted to welcome the arrival of the luxury cruise ship and her passengers to our Port of Barrow. It is the port’s proximity to the Lake District National Park, a UNESCO registered World Heritage site, that make it such an appealing cruise call for vessels up to 160m in length.

“The ABP team did an excellent job in delivering a successful port call, and ensuring that cruise guests arrived safely and were able to disembark to explore the natural beauty of the Western Lakes area, before departing for Wales.

“In 2018, the Port of Barrow won the ‘Port of the Year Award’ at the 10th annual UK Ports Conference in London, in recognition of high levels of customer service.

“ABP’s ports have a proud history of serving the cruise sector and offer unrivalled port services. Barrow is one of 12 UK cruise ports owned and operated by ABP alongside Southampton, which is Europe’s leading turnaround cruise port with five world-class cruise terminals. Find out more in our cruise brochure.”