The News were invited on a tour of the vessel.
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00:00The lavish cruise ship Aurora Borealis has returned to Portsmouth and will be operating
00:13several winter cruises throughout the season around Christmas time. Fred Olsen have been
00:18visiting Portsmouth and using their port on and off since 2009 and have now extended their
00:24reach to tourists as part of the port's busiest ever cruise season this year.
00:30In cruises which will last all the way up until 2025, tourists will get the chance to visit so
00:36many luxurious destinations such as Morocco, the Canary Islands, parts of Spain but also
00:42get to look for the ship's namesake, Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights in Norway. People
00:48who prefer to spend their holidays in the sun will also get a chance to visit the Caribbean
00:52on one of the voyages from Portsmouth. Portsmouth City Council owns Portsmouth
00:57International Port and as a result the more cruisers that visit the city the more funding
01:02that they get tertiary through tourism spending but also money directly into the local authority
01:07to benefit schemes which every single citizen can benefit from. The city has already seen
01:13various cruise brands visit the port throughout the entire year which include Virgin Voyages,
01:19Viking, Windscar and other famous brands which all try to offer their tourists so many wonderful
01:26destinations to go to but also an entire trip in a lap of luxury. It's estimated that every
01:33cruise call that comes into the city generates 1.5 million pounds through port fees, tertiary
01:38spending from tourists from other businesses and restaurants and other factors. This money then
01:44goes directly into the council and is often shared into continuing to operate the port itself
01:49but also into other social and infrastructure projects all across the city of various types.
01:56Council leader Steve Pitt said it was vital that the cruise seasons continue throughout this year
02:01and the rest of next year as it is of vital importance to the city economically. Andrew
02:06Williamson, the head of Ports, Cruise and Ferry said that the port has continued to grow throughout
02:11the entire time and has been expanding its reach with recently opened carbon neutral terminal but
02:17also construction work beginning to establish shore power where ships can operate through
02:22shore power instead of keeping their engines on while docked. This also expands the types of ships
02:26that can visit the port itself and with the aim of trying to gradually increase the number of
02:31cruise ships that call into the city the port is investing heavily into making that happen.
02:37The news was invited on a tour of Roro Bar Alice and on board I could see the lap of luxury which
02:42the tourists get to expect. This includes various types of restaurants which are buffet style but
02:47also dine-in and various types of cabins, piano bars and lounges where guests can relax as much as they like.
03:06so
03:36so
04:06so
04:18There's an expansive swimming pool, jacuzzi and spa on board for people to relax
04:22with also where the skylight can open during sunny days or keep them shut like on the day
04:27that I visited where storm vert was hitting the port quite heavily. As well as all the
04:32relaxing activities there was a degree of lounges and entertainment across the ship
04:37all organized for people to spend their evenings after visiting the destinations that they go to.
04:42This can include lectures, performances, magic, musical theatre and so many other things in the
04:48various lounges, the atrium and auditorium. Fred Olsen representative Martin Lister said the
04:54port itself is an ideal place for their cruise ships to dock and also visited a variety of
04:59locations primarily in the Mediterranean but also for the northern lights. He also hinted that further
05:05trips and expeditions are planned and encourages people to keep their eyes peeled for any deals
05:10that come up where they can take the holiday of a lifetime. The video of the tour on board shows all
05:15the major parts of the ship aside from the cabins. This includes all the major lounges, restaurants,
05:21swimming pool, jacuzzi, spa, gym, fitness centre and all the major amenities that visitors can
05:28access all while enjoying a well-deserved holiday.