PICTURES: Monster cruise liner MSC Preziosa towers above Invergordon buildings
PREVIOUSLY described as “a floating town”, her arrival in Invergordon earlier today certainly turned heads.
MSC Preziosa will be the biggest vessel to visit the deep water port this season with a capacity for 4000 passengers and 1300 members of crew.
Today she was carrying 3459 passengers and 1278 crew.
Three times bigger than the Titanic and weighing in at 140,000 tonnes, the MSC Cruises vessel is guaranteed to make an impression wherever she berths.
She wasn’t the only arrival in town today either with the significantly smaller Seven Seas Splendor operated by Regent SS Cruises also berthing.
MSC Preziosa is currently on a 10-day round trip of northern Europe which started, and will finish, in Hamburg, Germany.
Before arriving in Invergordon earlier today, she paid visits to Cork, Dublin, Belfast, Stornoway and Kirkwall. She is scheduled back in Hamburg on Wednesday.
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The scale on the inside is every bit as impressive as on the outside – with no fewer than four swimming pools, a huge theatre/cinema space, casino...and even jewel encrusted staircases.
In total, 116 ships are expected to visit Invergordon before the season ends. More than 225,000 people are expected to visit from the cruises.
Many passengers take pre-arranged shore visits to Highland attractions as well as whistle-stop bus tours of the region.
The cruise line industry has been estimated to be worth tens of millions to the Highland economy.
