VIDEO: Crowds gather to watch cruise liner Azamara Journey arrive in Glasgow

A third cruise ship has docked in Glasgow to see out the coronavirus crisis that continues to have a devastating impact on the travel industry.

Azamara Journey joined sister ships Azamara Quest and Azamara Pursuit in the city’s King George V dock on Wednesday afternoon.

With cruise liners normally docking at Greenock’s Ocean Terminal when on their Glasgow stop, crowds gathered to watch the rare sighting of such a ship so far upriver.

Azamara Journey was followed throughout the morning by eager spotters as it made its way up the Firth of Clyde for lay-up.

It met up with tugs Ayton Cross and Anglegarth off Greenock for the final stretch in the narrower waters past Dumbarton, under the Erskine Bridge and into Glasgow.

Crowds lined the river walkways at Clydebank, Renfrew and Braehead, with some waiting for hours at their perfect vantage points.

EEMS Dover, a ship carrying wind turbine parts, whet the crowd’s appetite as it passed upriver before the main event of Azamara Journey and its escorting tugs arrived on the scene shortly afterwards.

The ships gave blasts of their horns to the gathered, waving crowds.

Azamara Journey arrived at its new temporary home at around 3pm.

The ship, which can carry almost 700 passengers and 390 crew, has been at sea for over two weeks before arriving in Glasgow.

It is staffed by a skeleton crew, who are Covid-19 free.

Crowds watch the liner transit the Clyde

The luxury vessel and its sister ships are set to remain docked in Glasgow until cruise holidays can get underway again.

Azamara is a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Cruises, who yesterday announced an extension to their suspension of most sailings until September 15.

The ship was a big attraction on a sunny day

Earlier this month, David Huck, group managing director of King George V dock operators Peel Ports, said: “These are vessels which have skeleton crews of around 40 crew members each and have not had passengers on board for many weeks.

“The vessels involved have been deep-cleaned, are free from Covid and will be on the high seas for at least two weeks prior to arriving on the Clyde.

“There are literally hundreds of vessels arriving and departing from British ports daily, carrying vital goods and supplies, all subject to strict controls, statutory checks and regulations and these vessels are no different.”