Debate has sparked online after CalMac's largest ferry was ‘forced to perform a U-turn’ to allow a cruise ship to dock.
The incident took place at the entrance to Stornoway Harbour on Monday of last week.
It involved the MV Loch Seaforth, which serves the Stornoway to Ullapool route, and the 291 metre-long MS Zuiderdam cruise ship, which is owned and operated by Holland America Line.
News of the incident was shared by an islander in a Facebook post who argued that the ferry “should have had priority” over the cruise liner - which was docking at Arnish - given that the ferry “runs to a tight schedule”.
The argument was reinforced by a worker at Scrabster Harbour, who contributed to the debate by saying that the MV Hamnavoe, which sails between Scrabster and Stromness in Orkney “always has right of passage…the ferry timetable cannot be interrupted”.
READ MORE: Cruise ship breaks record of largest to ever visit Lerwick Harbour
Another questioned why “regularly scheduled, vital public transportation” needs to “move aside for rich people on an enormous polluting ship”.
In contrast, a third contested that “as a basic point of seamanship - a smaller vessel has no 'right of way' in a channel out of which a bigger ship cannot safely manoeuvre”, while a fourth suggested that “law of gross tonnage always wins”.
Meanwhile, another contributor to the debate suggested that it is also plausible that “the master of the Loch Seaforth had been given permission to berth but if the cruise ship was using thrusters to dock decided to go around if there was too much wash given he's ultimately responsible for the safety of his vessel, crew and passengers”.
CalMac confirmed to The Herald that the MV Loch Seaforth was delayed in docking in Stornoway due to the late arrival of the MS Zuiderdam.
A CalMac spokesperson said: "We can confirm MV Loch Seaforth had a short delay in docking on Monday 24 June after being instructed by the harbour owner to allow a late-running cruise liner to berth first.
"Despite the delay, the next scheduled sailing was able to depart on time and the service continued to operate to timetable."
It comes weeks after photos showing a 'monster' cruise ship visiting the remote archipelago of St Kilda sparked outcry after appearing online.
Images of a cruise ship docked off Hirta were shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, leading some to question the frequency of such visits, while others expressed concern over how such visits ‘help the climate issues’ on the archipelago, which is situated around 40 miles west-northwest of North Uist in the North Atlantic Ocean.
Responding to the concerns raised on X, NTS said it believes that the visit by the cruise ship was unscheduled.
They wrote: "This was drawn to our attention by St Kilda's Head Ranger, Sue Loughran. We work with the cruise ship industry to encourage responsible tourism and we limit the number of vessels calling into St Kilda.
READ MORE: Cruise ship firm responds to outrage over St Kilda visit
“We also limit the number of passengers who come ashore. The companies we work with agree to our biosecurity procedures and wildlife-watching codes. However, on this occasion, we believe this vessel was sailing past the island en route to another destination.
“It did not land passengers and was not scheduled to visit. We will speak to the company about your concerns and appreciate you flagging this to us.”
The cruise ship in question was the Spirit of Adventure, a 58,000-ton cruise ship operated by Saga Cruises, which departed from Dover on May 9 on a scheduled 14-day 'West Coast Explorer: from Orkney to Ireland' sailing. The itinerary listed on the Saga Cruises made no mention of a stop over at St Kilda.
A Saga spokesperson said: “The Spirit of Adventure passed through the Bay of St Kilda on its planned sailing around the Hebrides. Prior to approaching the area, the ship made the relevant local authorities aware of the scenic sail past.
"Given that this is a sensitive area for wildlife, and having worked previously in the region along with the National Trust for Scotland, the captain took all the appropriate procedures to avoid disruption and any adverse impact.”
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