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ANDREW BATCHELOR: Dundee must seize the opportunities arriving on cruise ships like Ambition

Cruise ships like the Ambassador Ambition could be big business for Dundee. It's time for the city and its people to present its best face to the world.

The Ambassador Ambition sailing into Dundee.
The Ambassador Ambition is the latest in a series of cruise ships to visit Dundee. Image: Ambassador Cruise Lines/Peter Devlin.

Dundee’s growing international profile means it’s fast becoming one of the best places in Scotland and the UK to visit for a city break.

It’s the perfect location. Small, friendly, sunny, and with loads of attractions in a relatively compact area.

Perhaps that’s why Dundee has been regularly topping ‘must visit destination’ lists in all the best travel magazines.

But now a new, potentially lucrative market is opening up.

The writer Andrew Batchelor next to a quote: "For Dundee to make the most of the market in cruise ships, we all need to play a part."

In recent years, more and more cruise ships have been dropping anchor at the Port of Dundee.

The latest arrival made its presence felt at the weekend, in the shape of Ambassador Ambition.

We can all play a part in Dundee cruise ships success

The 700ft cruise ship docked in Dundee after leaving Newcastle on Friday night. It set sail for Cherbourg in France on Saturday evening.

The liner, part of the Ambassador Cruise Line, has space for up to 1,200 passengers. That’s a lot of people for Dundee to impress.

This weekend was its first time in Dundee and it looked stunning.

Ambassador Cruise Line's ship Ambition
Ambassador Cruise Line’s ship Ambition made waves when it visited Dundee. Image: Ambassador Cruise Lines.
Ambassador Ambition cruise ship's reception area.
Stunning inside and out: the Ambition’s main reception. Image: Ambassador Cruise Line.

The visit generated a lot of excitement and it offers a brilliant opportunity for the city.

But for Dundee to make the most of the market in cruise ships, we all need to play a part.

I hope the passengers on board Ambition, and future ships, will go back home and tell their friends and family what a great place the city is to visit.

And for this to happen, we need to make sure the city is looking and being the best it can possibly be.

That means keeping our streets clean and tidy, being welcoming, helping visitors and not shying away from trying new things.

Selling Dundee to the world

The Eden Project plans and the continuing rejuvenation of Dundee’s waterfront are the sort of developments that could persuade other cruise operators to choose the city.

We have already been upping our game when it comes to night time tourism, thanks to ideas like the Think Thursday initiative, which has seen museums and attractions in the city extend their opening hours into the evening.

This kind of flexibility and creative thinking will help to ensure visitors have a great experience and Dundee reaps the benefits of the cruise ships market.

The arrival of Ambition and liners like it is good for Dundee in another way, in that it will allow Dundonians and their neighbours to explore other parts of the world, with the convenience of leaving from their home city.

Again, this is a chance to get out there and tell the world and anyone who will listen about everything Dundee has to offer.

We have a wonderful opportunity here and it’s down to all of us to make the most of it.

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