Octopus Harald - Marine Accident Investigation Branch

1.9 CRUISE VESSEL TRAFFIC IN THE ORKNEY ISLANDSIn 2000, 57 cruise vessels, with a combined passenger capacity of around 15,000,called at the Orkney Islands.The Orkney Islands Council Annual Performance Report of 2004/2005 states:• A year on year rise of cruise liner traffic has been evident in the period 1st April2004 to 31st March 2005, with passenger numbers visiting Orkney increasing from22,916 to 30,708, an increase of 34%. This increase is due to a record numberof liners calling i.e. 75, and the fact that some of the larger liners had passengernumbers in excess of 2,000.• Figures published by Cruise Europe in January 2006 indicate that yet again Orkneyis the most popular destination in Scotland for Cruise liners and the 4th mostpopular call in the UK.In 2007, 69 cruise vessels were scheduled to call at the Orkney Islands, representing apassenger capacity of more than 39,000.1.10 PREVIOUS ACCIDENTSThe MAIB database has no record of any vessels grounding on uncharted banks in UKterritorial waters.On 11 December 2004, the UK registered tanker British Enterprise grounded in theapproaches to Istanbul. The vessel was aground for 5 days. There had been at leasttwo other groundings in the anchorage in previous years.Following the findings of the MAIB investigation into the grounding of British Enterprise,extensive areas of the Turkish coast were resurveyed.23