Thousands Of Cruise Guests Stranded Thanks To Port Chaos

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For passengers aboard Regal Princess this week, a call to Invergordon, Scotland turned into a logistical headache when shuttle delays of up to four hours caused hundreds to miss out on planned tours to the Scottish Highlands.

Coach

The incident occurred on 10th June 2025, during a 12-night British Isles itinerary.

With the port of Invergordon requiring cruise passengers to be transported via shuttle to reach tour coaches due to local regulations, the system quickly buckled under the pressure of the ship’s more than 4,000 passengers.

For some, the delay was so long that they gave up entirely. “People were waiting hours,” said one frustrated passenger. “We missed our slot on the Loch Ness boat cruise and never got to see the castle.”

Tour operators also expressed concern over the scale of the issue. Gordon Pearson of Wow Tours Inverness told the Press and Journal:

“Some people didn’t make it off today and missed their tours entirely. It was just chaos and is an absolute embarrassment.”

Despite being a deep water port popular with cruise lines, Invergordon’s small population of fewer than 4,000 and limited local infrastructure clearly struggled to cope with a ship the size of Regal Princess – which can carry up to 4,250 guests.

Port Authority Responds

The Port of Cromarty Firth, which arranges the shuttle buses, acknowledged the problem and blamed a combination of “specific circumstances” for the breakdown.

“We held a very positive and constructive meeting with the cruise line… We are now both working through what we can change and improve for the next visit.”

The port also pledged to look into mobility access concerns, as several guests reported difficulty boarding the step-up buses provided.

Why Regal Princess in Particular?

Regal Princess is the largest cruise ship scheduled to visit Invergordon this month, significantly bigger than other upcoming vessels such as Celebrity Eclipse (2,850 passengers), P&O Britannia (3,647), and MSC Preziosa (3,959).

The 142,700-gross-ton ship is due to return to the port on 22nd June, 16th July, and multiple dates throughout August, September, and her final call on 5th October, during a 31-night repositioning voyage to Galveston.

With additional calls expected this season, pressure is mounting on local authorities and Princess Cruises to ensure smoother disembarkation and tour processes in future.

At the time of writing, Princess Cruises has not released a public statement on the incident. It is also unclear whether affected guests – particularly those who missed paid excursions – will receive any form of compensation or partial refund.

Compensation typically depends on whether the tour was booked through the cruise line or independently.

Some passengers have already voiced their dissatisfaction on social media, urging the cruise line to review its shore excursion planning and port logistics for future British Isles sailings.

As more megaships make their way to smaller ports around the world, incidents like this highlight the delicate balance between growing passenger demand and the limits of local infrastructure – especially in rural or historically smaller cruise destinations.

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Cruise Mummy

Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

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