Isles of Scilly welcomes first cruises of 2025

The vessel MV Ocean Nova alongside St Mary's Quay in the Isles of Scilly

The first four cruise ships of the 2025 season have arrived in the Isles of Scilly.

The vessels MV Ocean Nova, Silver Endeavour, MS Borealis and MS Ambience all docked at the islands last week, bringing a total of 2,733 passengers to the islands.

MV Ocean Nova's arrival on Saturday marked the first time in decades a cruise ship has docked alongside St Mary's Quay.

Tom Jackman, managing director of Scillonian Marine Consultants, which manages ships visiting the islands, said it marked the end of "a brilliant week".

He said: "[It was] really quite special for Scilly, and to see a cruise ship alongside the harbour in St Mary's was an exciting moment for us.

"Usually, cruise ships anchor in the bay, and this marks the end of a brilliant week", he said.

Mr Jackman raised the idea for the pilot to consider berthing the ship alongside the quay.

After an assessment, the ship's captain, the pilot and harbourmaster decided it would be safe to do so.

A total of 53 cruise ships, with capacity for a total of 28,000 tourists, are expected to visit Scilly in 2025.

Mr Jackman said: "The economic benefits of bringing cruise ships to Scilly cannot be underestimated.

"They are fantastic for island businesses and for introducing the islands to new visitors.

"We hope people will choose to come back and visit us again."