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The Albert Pier should close on fewer occasions this summer as a result of some minor changes being made to it ahead of the first cruise liners visiting.
From today, States Works are making the pedestrian path on the northern side of the pier wider to enable more people to safely walk along it.
This work should take no more than three days, with 24 two-hour car parking spaces suspended from today while it's taking place.
The accessible spaces in that area are not affected.
Pictured: Some car parking spaces are currently suspended while the work is taking place. The accessible spaces are available for use as normal.
The first phase of work will see the width of the northern walkway widened by moving the steel posts that currently line it. This is intended to 'remove some of the pedestrian/vehicle conflicts' identified in the area, 'meaning the car park and the cruise function will be able to operate simultaneously to some extent on all but the busiest of cruise days'.
Mark Renouf, Cruise and Surveys Operations Manager, said: “The cruise industry is a valuable contributor to the island’s economy and we want to make sure that visiting cruise ship passengers receive the warmest welcome to Guernsey from the moment they set foot ashore.
"Changing the layout of the pier to improve safety is a very practical consideration, but still an important part of that overall first perception of our island. We’re pleased that the benefits of these changes also extend to islanders as well, reducing the amount of times that we will need to fully close the Albert Pier for visiting cruise ships compared to previous years.”
Pictured: Guernsey said last year that it had turned its attention to smaller cruise liners, which coincided with two major operators not scheduling visits here during 2024.
74 cruise liners are due to visit Guernsey this summer, with the first scheduled for 7 April and the last for 14 October.
This is a decline on the number of scheduled visits seen in recent years, with 95 intending to stop off last year, and 130 listings for 2022.
Two major operators have pulled out of Guernsey this year too, with Princess and MSC no longer including the island in any of its advertised routes.
MSC has previously brought its largest vessel - the 5,500+ passenger Virtuosa - to Guernsey, but Economic Development said the decision of the two larger cruise firms to skip Guernsey this year fits in with the island's intention to advertise itself as a destination for smaller ships instead.
The States said last year that it was “currently targeting new business, in particular smaller high-end cruise companies which are an excellent fit for our product”.
The largest ships planning to visit this year include the ms Nieuw Statendam (3,214), P&O’s Ventura (3,087), and Royal Caribbean's Jewel of the Seas (2,501).
The most frequent ships are those that carry around 1,000 passengers or less.
Some of the smaller ships visit Herm, Sark and Alderney too. Two trips are planned to Sark, with four apiece for the other islands.
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