February 2018

At our meeting on 10th February we were delighted to present our cheque for £200 to our local RNLI branch towards their current appeal for an extension to their lifeboat station. The money was raised from the raffle at our 2017 Christmas Dinner held at the Greenback Hotel, Falmouth

 

 

August 2014

 

Falmouth Cruise Ship Ambassadors walk in the Falmouth Carnival on Saturday 9th August. It was the first time we had entered the carnival and a great time was had by all. By tradition the carnival is the first event in Falmouth Week - a nine day annual festival celebrating Falmouth and the sea. For full details see : http://src.falmouthweek.co.uk

 

  

 

March 2014 - Falmouth Harbour moves a step closer to being dredged

 

Falmouth Harbour dredging will not affect wildlife. That's the result of a scientific trial which concludes dredging Falmouth Harbour can be carried out without affecting local ecology.

Harbour bosses want to dredge a channel to allow more cruise ships access but there are concerns fishing beds and a rare algae, maerl, would be damaged. However harbour authorities said a trial dredge saw a top layer of maerl scraped away, re-laid and successfully re-colonised.

But some local fishermen said they still had concerns about the dredging process. Maerl is a calcified seaweed that exists in only a few coastal areas. It acts as a nursery for commercial fish stocks.

However harbour bosses said the dredging trials showed that, after 44 weeks, the maerl habitat had been re-colonised.

Dredging is needed because cruise ship visits could be under threat as the port was becoming too shallow for bigger ships.

Harbourmaster Mark Sampson said: "Ships are getting larger and ports can outlive their usefulness unless they can improve." He said the data would be passed on to the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) to consider whether to allow full scale dredging.

 

Falmouth Town Shuttle Bus

Single Journey Ticket £1.00
All Day Ticket £2.00
Child £50p
Concessions (Bus Pass) Free. 

 

Heritage Bus

Adults £3.50
Child £2.50
Hop On/Hop Off all day ticket
Bus Passes can not be used on this service

FCSA 2014 "Welcome Packs"

In 2013 we launched our "Welcome Packs".They were designed and produced entirely by us to promote local shops and eateries and handed out to every foot passenger and crew member going into town as they came off ship.

As anticipated they proved very popular and we've had no hesitation in producing them again this year - in fact the support and demand from local traders to be included in the packs has been even greater than last year and needless to say we're delighted at just how well they've been received.

Here is a complete list of the businesses advertising in this year's pack:

ANNIE'S KITCHEN / BOW FASHION ACCESSORIES / CAVENDISH COFFEE HOUSE / CORNISH STORE / DE WYNNS TEA & COFFEE SHOP / FAL RIVER CORNWALL / FALMOUTH ART GALLERY / FALMOUTH HOTEL / FIRE KITCHEN / FUEL CAFE LOUNGE BAR / GYLLY BEACH CAFÉ / HALZEPHRON HERB FARM / JUST LIKE THIS / MARINE GALLERY / NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM CORNWALL / OCEAN BOWL,FALMOUTH / OGGY OGGY  PASTIES / PORTERS OF FALMOUTH / RICK STEIN'S FISH / ROLY'S FUDGE PANTRY / SWEET PEA & BETTY / THE GRAPES / W C ROWE (FALMOUTH) LTD / W WEARNE & SON / WILD FLOWERS BAKERY / WILKINSON, FALMOUTH

If you would like to be included in the 2015 packs please get in touch. Our contact details are shown at the foot of our Home page

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Falmouth Tall Ships Regatta

Thursday 28th to Sunday 31st August 2014

Up to 50 ships are expected to be in port for this spectacular event.

Keep up to date on: www.falmouthtallships.co.uk

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2013 Cruise Call Statistics

• 37 cruise ships called from April through to September carrying 21042 passengers & 11148 crew
• 12860 (39.9%) of the total passengers & crew went into town
• 320 Cornish Tour Buses left the dockside taking passengers to various attractions all over the county
• 50 Shuttle Buses (funded by A&P and BIDs) took passengers & crew from the dockside into town
• 746 passengers & crew visited the National Maritime Museum Cornwall
• And finally ..... 39 Falmouth Cruise Ship Ambassadors gave 2912 hours of their own time welcoming passengers & crew alike to our fabulous town and county!

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September 2013

The Ambassadors bid farewell to Falmouth's Senior Pilot David Barnicoat as he pilots his last ship Seabourn Pride out of port upon his retirement 14th September following 37 years service (during which time he piloted in excess of 14000 ships!)

  

Presentation of the Falmouth Port Crest on 1st September by Mike Reynolds, A&P Falmouth to Captain Philip Rentell, Master of Saga Sapphire

Ambassadors tour german cruise ship AIDAcara August 2013

May 2013 - FCSA "Welcome to Falmouth" Bags

Our "Welcome to Falmouth" bags were launched during the first week of May and have already become a resounding success, attracting much publicity in the local press. This is a new innovation for us and we're delighted by it's immediate take up and success. As passengers disembark and head for the town they are handed a "Welcome to Falmouth" bag containing not only an essential town map but also a variety of leaflets from local shops & traders, many of whom offer enticing discounts to shop in their particular store. We are indebted to the following local businesses for their support and encouragement in this project:

5 DEGREES WEST BAR & GRILL / BESIDE THE WAVE GALLERY / BOW FASHIONS ACCESSORIES / THE CORNISH STORE / FALMOUTH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & TRADE / FALMOUTH PACKET NEWSPAPER / FUEL EAT & DRINK / THE GRAPES FALMOUTH / GYLLY BEACH CAFÉ / HAWKSHEAD FAMILY OUTDOOR OUTFITTERS / NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM CORNWALL / PASTY PRESTO / RICK STEINS SEAFOOD RESTAURANT / THE ROYAL DUCHY HOTEL / SEASALT CORNWALL / SWEETPEA & BETTY / TRAGO MILLS / WEARNES JEWELLERS / ZIZZI RISTORANTE

May 2013 - Bad weather brings unexpected but welcome passengers to Falmouth

Due to gale force winds two ships diverted to Falmouth from their scheduled calls at St Marys, Isles of Scilly.

On Wednesday 8th May mv Astor with 488 german passengers arrived at 07.00 hrs and spent a very enjoyable day visiting the town and county and sailed at 16.00 hrs for Portland,Dorset

And the following day 9th May the very small ship Ocean Nova on charter with Noble Caledonia arrived at 06.30 hrs with 71 mainly british passengers. After returning from county tours many went into town to not only visit the shops but also take meals in several of the local restaurants. She sailed at 21.00hrs for Plymouth where the cruise ended and passengers disembarked for home.

Emerald Princess - Tuesday 7th May 2103

As the queue waiting for the tenders diminished we came across Marion Ross, a very famous lady of American TV fame. She and her co-stars from the American sitcom "Happy Days" were godparents to the ship (i.e. they named her in Athens,Greece back in 2007) and still enjoy special status whenever they travel on her. She was a charming lady, very unassuming and said that she had enjoyed her brief visit here enormously. Here's a write up from the Princess Cruise's website of that day back in May 2007. Marion is the lady dressed in yellow.

Florence Henderson, Marion Ross, Erin Moran, Susan Olsen – Emerald Princess^®

May 13, 2007 Athens (Piraeus), Greece

To christen Emerald Princess, the company reunited some of television’s most famous mothers and daughters to serve as the ship’ godmothers. The selection was especially fitting because the festivities took place in Greece, which was the birthplace of the Mother’ Day holiday.

The famous mother/daughter duos included Florence Henderson, who played “Carol Brady” on The Brady Bunch, and her TV daughter Susan Olsen, aka “Cindy Brady,” and Marion Ross, the beloved “Marion Cunningham” from the international hit, Happy Days, and her TV daughter, Erin Moran, aka “Joanie Cunningham.” The naming of Emerald Princess took place on a warm afternoon followed by a blessing by Greek Orthodox priest and a colorful performance by traditional Greek dancers. The godmothers, who hadn’t seen each other in some time, enjoyed re-acquainting themselves with their TV families.

New attractions to see in Falmouth during 2013!

London Routemaster Red Bus - All Aboard!

The Lizard Stallions

Oceania Cruises’ Marina is greeted by the Falmouth Cruise Ship Ambassadors, a winning team

On the day Falmouth expected Oceania Cruises’ Marina to come alongside - making it the largest ship to dock in this picturesque town in Cornwall - the Falmouth Cruise Ship Ambassadors were out in force.

Things did not going quite according to plan on September 11, with the ship anchoring instead in Falmouth Bay, a 20-minute tender ride from the port. This did not stop the welcome given to those passengers eager to visit this south-western corner of the UK even though time ashore was limited. Marina was due in Dover the next day on turnaround and has some distance to travel.

Falmouth has a total of 34 calls (24,486 passengers) this year (45 calls and 24,349 passengers next) and on each the Ambassadors, easily spotted in their pale blue tops. They are on the quayside, in the shuttle buses and around the town giving advice, handing out specially-prepared maps for cruise visitors, as well as leaflets to all those venturing ashore.

In the case of Marina and two other ships calling this year, an Ambassadors’ desk was set up on board. Jo Walker and Phil Boddy were doing an excellent job answering passengers’ questions while we waited for the tenders and hence setting us up to head straight into Falmouth without stopping at the quayside kiosk.

For the larger ships, shuttle buses are provided to drop passengers at the far end of town so they can walk back along the main street towards the ship/tenders at County Wharf. Close to the National Maritime Museum - opened in 2003 and well worth a visit - the shuttles are on hand to take passengers the short ride back to the wharf. For the smaller ships a shuttle is provided to this end of town.

Two of the buses are vintage, one built in 1955, and a particular hit with my American fellow travellers. While many of us enjoyed what Falmouth has to offer - including Pendennis Castle and the classic Cornish pasty - others took tours to St Ives, St Michael’s Mount and beyond. An independent hop on/hop off shuttle bus that goes around town on a virtually continuous loop and costs just £1 (or E1) for a daily ticket is a great way of getting about.

Set up in June 2006, the Ambassadors is a voluntary organisation which has since won a number of awards including the national and west of England tourism awards. Keith Collings, a retired butcher, tells me: “We are here to help and promote Falmouth. We are not here to sell.”

2012 Passenger/Crew Statistics

Date	Ship	W/B	HIP	Passengers	Crew	FCSA am	FCSA pm	Tours	Shuttles	Short	Long	Foot	NMMC
120412	Arion
190412	Grand Princess	B	9	2468	1100	13	12	29	6		X	1049	63
190412	Saga Pearl 2	W	8	336	260	8	8	4	1	X		355	75
230412	Arion
280412	Quest	W	36	20	25	4	4		1	X		30	16
60512	Emerald Princess	B	10	300	1178	15	14	35	5		X	1453	53
90512	Quest	W	33.5	33	25	9	8	2	1	X
90512	Azamara Journey	W	9.5	559	390			2	2			400	64
270512	Seabourn Pride	W	10	190	100	11	6	2	1	X		238	13
310512	Delphin	W	10	322	234		14	5	1	X		347	4
40612	SS Voyager	W	11	650	445	14	9	16	1	X		278	16
50612	Athena	W	24	466	260	8	3	5	1	X		250	45
60612	Athena	W	11.5			11	10	5	1	X		390	29
130612	AIDAcara	W	11.5	1151	376	10	10	13	2	X		612	13
300612	Saga Sapphire	B	9	693	400	15	11	6	1	X		585	35
210712	Nautica	W	9	664	386	13	9	10	2	X		506	42
260712	Quest for Adventure	W	11.5	429	260	11	9	5	3	X		676	50
260712	Saga Ruby	B	7	543	380			5		X
280712	Minerva	W	20.5	300	170	9	6	7	1	X		273	34
60812	Astor	W	12	473	300	15	11	10	1	X		294	0
150812	Discovery/LeDaimant	WX2	12	846	490	6	5	6	4	X		809	114
170812	AIDAcara	W	11	1265	376	12	8	18	2	X		696	41
260812	Caribbean Princess	B	10	2930	1136	21	18	36	6		X	1724	44
270812	Le Diamant	W	9	173	140	11	11	0	1	X		164	55
280812	Princess Daphne	B	6	422	240	13		6	1	X		50	0
310812	Delphin	W	8.25	438	234	14		6	1	X		219	15
60912	Princess Daphne	W	10.25	158	200	13	9	3	1	X		234	0
110912	Marina	B	6.5	1151	800	17	13	16	5		X	436	15
150912	Albatros	B	7	786	340		17	15	2	X		141	0
170912	Hamburg	W	8	357	170		16	7	1	X		228	0
210912	Ocean Countess	W	10	704	350	11	8	4	2	X		839	83
210912	Delphin	W	10.5	310	234	6	4	5	1	X		230
260912	Seabourn Pride	W	21	190	160	10	6	5	1	X		126	30
	TOTALS		365.5	19327	11159	300	259	288	59			13632	949
Date	Ship	W/B	HIP	Passengers	Crew	FCSA am	FCSA pm	Tours	Shuttles	Short	Long	Foot	NMMC

Key:

W = Wharf

B = Bay

HIP = Hours in port

FCSA am/pm = Number of Ambassadors who worked am/pm

Short = Short Shuttle route into town

Long = Long Shuttle route into town

Foot = Number of passengers who walked into town