Argy Bargy… Port Hit By Immigration Barge Protest

Cruise ship business at Portland Port appears to now been affected by the imminent arrival of an immigration barge.

Due to arrive this week.  It has created an un-foreseen situation for the cruise ship business at the port.

With a series of protest marches planned for last Saturday.  The cruise ship Regal Princess, decided to cancel that visit.

Irony As Cruise Line Heads For Port Where Bibby Stockholm Is Moored

Regal Princess headed to Falmouth then to Cork according to recent AIS mapping.

There is a certain irony here as in doing so the cruise line made for Falmouth instead.  The very port where the Bibby Stockholm is currently moored before moving onto Portland!

Protests at Portland Port about the immigration barge.

Princess Cruises have been have been regular visitors in recent years. However, it seems that the demonstration situation around the port entrance and access road to it the ship failed to call in. In a statement from the cruise company Princess Cruises said: “The decision was made in the interest of the safety and security of our guests and crew following our security team’s consultation with local authorities.”

Immigration Barge Protest at Portland Port about the immigration barge.

Immigration Barge Due to Arrive In Popular Passenger Port

The next passenger ship is due to arrive is on Tues July 11th. The Norwegian Dawn.

This must have been a financial blow for Portland Port.  Who have built up a really booming cruise ship business over recent years.

Cruise ship Aida Stella at Portland Port, Dorset UK.

Some 65 ships have been listed to visit the port this year.  And if any similar actions by protestors could have serious consequences for the port?

On the one hand they will be earning money from the Home Office,  for mooring the immigration barge Bibby Stockholm. However, they could be losing out on lucrative cruise ship business.

The proposed mooring site in the port will be close by the brand new £26m dock extension.  Built recently to allow two giant ships in at once.

Some 100 yards away will be the immigration barge with its up to 500 virtually penniless refugees aboard waiting for either clearance or for some repatriation.

Where the barge will be located the site of a former prison ship.

But on the other hand, luxury cruise ship passengers sipping champagne will just yards away?

The exact place where the former prison ship the HMP Weare was located where it closed in 2005.  It finally left the port in 2009.

Where the barge will be located will be the same as the former HMP Weare a prison ship back in 2005.

Will passengers on those ships feel comfortable or sympathetic to those migrants?  Or prefer not to be confronted with those facts by knowing the barge will be so close by.

Hand Outs For Some And Champagne For Others

If the two protest groups decide to continue further actions and protests when passenger cruise ships are expected.  Then it could certainly make life potentially uncomfortable for visiting passengers and further cruise income for the port.

Immigration Barge Protest near entrance to Portland Port about the barge.

Although with the two protest groups not politically linked in anyway.  Potentially makes it more difficult for them to perhaps carry out joint protests?

Certainly, there were protestors last Saturday who felt that the cruise ship not stopping was a success for them.  In their fight to stop the barge.

MSC Virtuosa the very first UK cruise ship to return after Cove-19.

It will from a travel prospective be interesting to see how this situation plays out in the coming weeks.

The cruise ship passengers do contribute a deal money into the local economy outside of the port.

But will this issue of housing refugees on a barge turn out to be a decision that may halt the development of the cruise ship success that the port have enjoyed over the recent years?

Note: I would very much welcome Portland Ports view?