The Port of Tyne said it is set for another record year in the cruise business in 2017 with more than 50 cruise calls already booked.
Port of Tyne said it handled an all-time high of 44 cruise ship visits in 2016.
It said more people are taking advantage of the ability to start their cruise locally.
The Port of Tyne said its cruise and ferry business adds £60 million to the economy of North East England and supports an estimated 1,700 tourism-related jobs.
2017 will see the return of Thomson Cruises to the UK and to the Port of Tyne as their sole UK departure port with 12 cruise calls from Thomson Celebration.
The port now offers cruise destinations across Scandinavia, the Baltics, Iceland and mainland Europe.
“We make cruising direct from the Port of Tyne an easy, hassle-free and happy experience — so passengers can expect to enjoy their holiday from the moment they arrive at the International Passenger Terminal in North Shields,” said Nolan Gray, Port of Tyne business development director.
“With more choice of destinations than ever before, people are saving time and money by choosing to cruise from the Tyne.
“And our passengers arriving in port can explore North East England’s world-class visitor attractions all within an hour transit time from the terminal.”
The Port of Tyne expects to handle around 19 transit cruises bringing tourists in to the North East and more than 30 “turnarounds” sailing on to destinations that include Andalusia, Barcelona, German waterways, St. Petersburg, the Baltics and around Britain and Ireland.
The Port of Tyne became a “trust” port, constituted by Act of Parliament, in 1968.
It has no shareholders or owners and is governed by an independent board of executive directors and seven non-executive directors whose appointments are confirmed by the Secretary of State for Transport.
The port receives no government funding, is run on a commercial basis and reinvests profits back into the port for the benefit of stakeholders.
It has five commercial business areas — conventional and bulk cargoes, car terminals, cruise and ferry, logistics, and estates.
It was estimated that in 2015 the Port of Tyne added £710 million in GVA (gross value added) to the North East economy, supporting 14,000 jobs directly and indirectly.