Meet and Greet
Local flavour is provided by a warm and personal onboard and onshore 'Meet and Greet' welcome service to cruise passengers and crew, complemented by traditional Shetland music on the quayside.
Our friendly and helpful team are ready to assist with any questions or directions on arrival.
Shuttles
A free shuttle bus service operates from both Holmsgarth and Mair’s Pier berths directly to the town centre, at regular intervals with the last shuttle departing the town centre 45 minutes prior to cruise departure.
Pier Safety and Traffic Management
Cruise ships berthed or at anchor require exclusive use of pier areas to ensure their passengers can safely disembark to explore the isles and to control coach movements for their pre-arranged shore excursions. Safety marshals may be on site to control traffic movements at cruise berths. The public are requested to refrain from entering operational areas.
In addition to pre-arranged excursions, there may be a significant number of taxis, hire cars and minibuses working nearby to offer private hires. A limited number of spaces are available for private hires, allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. Some ships also have pre-arranged bicycle tours resulting in large numbers of cyclists moving within the area.
If special arrangements are required to pick up passengers with specific mobility issues, we recommend contacting Lerwick Port Authority in advance.
All port users, contractors and staff are asked to comply with Lerwick Port Authority’s Workplace Transport Policy to ensure the safety of themselves and others working in operational areas.
Victoria Pier Closures
Car parking at Victoria Pier may be affected on busy cruise days, when cruise ships are berthed at Victoria Pier, or anchored where tenders are using the cruise pontoon. On these days, Victoria Pier may be partially or fully closed to the public to ensure safe operations subject to requirements.
Security
Lerwick Harbour operates an approved Port Facility Security Plan (PFSP) under the ISPS Code. Security measures are in place to control access to “Restricted Areas” immediately adjacent all cruise berths. Shipside access is not permitted for the general public and any onboard visits must be arranged in advance via the ship's appointed Agent.