EXCLUSIVE Fowey's got cruise for you! Inside the historic Cornish seaside town where locals are delighted to welcome enormous cruise ships (that double the population) Robert Hardman travels to Fowey to witness a cruise ship's dramatic arrival The cruise liners increase the population by 50% - but are good for business READ MORE: Meet the American couple visiting every UNESCO site in the world By Robert Hardman for the Daily Mail Published: 13:35 BST, 21 August 2024 | Updated: 13:39 BST, 21 August 2024 e-mail View comments While no one would describe it as a thing of beauty, it was, nonetheless, an enthralling sight: a ten-storey ocean liner the size of a tower block amid the yachts and fishing boats in a historic little Cornish harbour. That was the sight which greeted the residents of Fowey when they opened the curtains on Saturday morning. Soon afterwards, the 1,250 (mainly German) passengers on board the 58,000-ton Portuguese-registered ship, Vasco da Gama, were being ferried ashore to enjoy a brief taste of Cornwall.
In an instant, the local population increased by 50 per cent. There was, though, no flood of complaints to the harbour authorities. Indeed, the locals seemed delighted to see the cruise passengers, as I discovered for myself when I turned up in Fowey that same day.
Cornish charm: Robert Hardman visits Fowey, seen here, a 'historic' Cornish seaside town where residents seem 'delighted' to welcome international cruise ships Giant arrival: Robert watches as 'pa.
