Saga cruise ship moors at Fowey in Cornwall sparking anger among locals | UK | News

Furious locals have blasted the arrival of an “awful” cruise ship which has stopped at a tiny picturesque town and has towered over the harbour’s skyline.

Fowey, Cornwall, is home to just 2,315 people and has banned second home ownership after residents rubbished claims the community “needs” outsiders.

But the arrival of the Spirit of Adventure, a 58,000-ton cruise liner, has disrupted the town’s tranquil atmosphere.

Now docked in the town’s harbour, the ship makes for an imposing presence, with pictures showing it cutting into Fowey’s views.

Its mooring has ruffled feathers, with people saying its appearance on the town’s doorstep is unwanted and “madness”.

But the town’s harbourmaster told the BBC this is the sort of tourism-boost the town is trying to encourage – meaning this may not be the last time residents see a ship of this size on its doorstep.

‘It’s far too big’

The Spirit of Adventure is one of the largest ships operated by Saga Cruises and measures 236.6 metres (776 ft) long. The vessel can carry 999 passengers in total and a further 540 crew members.

The 1,539 new people residing in the behemoth ship means Fowey now has a temporary population of 3,854, and permanent residents aren’t happy.

Scores of Fowey locals have taken to social media to complain about the vessel’s appearance.

Taking to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, one user said that, with a low tide, the ship “looked far too big for Fowey”.

Another dubbed its arrival “madness” and brought attention to the “filth being pumped into the atmosphere”, with pictures showing smoke billowing from the Spirit of Adventure’s metal chimney stacks.

Author Sasha Swire added that it looked “awful” and “shouldn’t be allowed”, and another user concurred, saying: “It’s so horrible when you find someone’s larked one of those floating blocks of flats, blocking the view.”

Not every local was critical of the ship’s arrival, however, with some noting the potential boost to local tourism.

Paul Thomas, Fowey’s harbourmaster, said the ship is the largest to ever reside in the town’s waters, adding it was a “big deal” to the Cornish tourist scene.

As a picturesque seaside town, Fowey sees its fair share of tourists, but they have become fed up with some of the town’s attention, as they voted in a 2020 referendum to ensure new-build houses can’t be used as second homes.

Pictures showed the vessel towering over St Fimbarrus, Fowey’s parish church, and Place House’s grade I listed tower.

Speaking to the BBC, the harbourmaster added: “What we are trying to do is attract this size of ship, which is just on our limit, but it means we can have those passengers going to visit the town and nearby destinations.”

Polruan Coastwach station manage Ray Wrigg said the ship’s size was impressive and even hid most of the houses opposite of it, saying that “gives you an idea of how high she is”, the Daily Mail reported.