Cruise liner makes its first voyage to the Port of Tyne in North East England

The Captain of a luxury cruise ship, which docked at the Port of Tyne for the first time today, made an unusual order in the form of a special delivery from Greggs.

A typical cruise will require as much as 60 tonnes of food-stuffs, including the finest wine, oysters, caviar and kobe beef. On your average 10-night cruise, passengers and crew will eat as many as 35,000 meals or more! As much as 120 lbs of lobster and 630 litres of ice cream may be eaten.

But when the 181m long Azamara Journey dropped anchor near Newcastle upon Tyne on Monday 19 August, it was missing some vital ingredients. Greggs Sausage Rolls, Vegan Sausage Rolls and North East favourite – Stottie Cake.

Greggs were initially contacted by the ship’s Cruise Director, Lee Hetherington from Heworth in Gateshead, who is very enthusiastic about some of Greggs’ famous menu items. So much so, that Captain Johannes Tysse took the opportunity to order a boat load for the ship’s 700 passengers who are visiting as part of a 10-day culinary and cultural tour of Northern Europe.

The team at a local Greggs shop on Newcastle’s Grainger Street were on hand in the early hours to prepare for the morning delivery which was delivered directly on to the cruise ship by Greggs employees in partnership with the Port of Tyne.

Norwegian Captain Johannes Tysse of Azamara, said: “On our cruise of Northern Europe passengers will enjoy amazing dining experiences including visits to Bruges and Amsterdam. Our UK crew told us that a visit to Newcastle wouldn’t be complete without a taste of Greggs as a culinary ‘must-try’, and that for European travellers it joins the echelons of British food icons alongside Fish & Chips, Afternoon Tea and the Sunday Roast. We were all very impressed and even got a cheer.”

Fiona Mills, Brand Communications Manager for Greggs, said: “It’s no surprise that this is the first time we’ve had a delivery request from a luxury cruise ship, we’re delighted to welcome Azamara to the North East and hopefully we’ve got a few new fans based on the amazing feedback we’ve had from passengers.”

Matt Beeton, Chief Executive Officer Port of Tyne, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Azamara Cruises as we celebrate 20 years of cruising from the Port of Tyne.

“When we heard about a special order from Greggs we were only too happy to help, after all only the best is good enough for the Captains table.”

During the ship’s time in Newcastle, guests will enjoy trips to local landmarks including Hadrian’s Wall, Alnwick Castle, Durham Cathedral, Beamish Air Open Museum and York.

Azamara Cruises offer unforgettable journeys, the luxury cruise line prides itself in offering boutique experiences. From Newcastle the ship will sail on to Leith, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Bruges, before passengers disembark in Southampton on 27th August.

Greggs has become the leading UK food-on-the-go retailer with nearly 2,000 shops nationwide, including 30 in Newcastle.