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Passenger numbers a welcome boost

The 293m-long superliner Radiance of the Seas will kick off the biggest cruise ship season yet for Esperance, with ships visiting 11 times over the next 12 months.

A total of 14,500 passengers are set to visit from cruise ships up to next November.

Tourism Esperance chairman Milton Valli is calling for local people to help put out the welcome mat and act as volunteers for the increased number of ships.

Mr Valli said 2000 people would be disembarking from Radiance of the Seas on October 30 and the ship would be returning later next year.

Four other ships, the Volendam, Solstice and Silver Shadow, also with 2000 passengers each, and the first ship that started cruising to Esperance, the 500-capacity Athena, will also be visiting.

“This year we will be seeing more cruise ship passengers through town than ever before, which is an excellent business opportunity for Esperance’s tourism and business industry,” Mr Valli said.