THE cruise season is now well under way with a steady procession of vessels marked to visit Inverclyde over the summer months. Love them or hate them, these mammoth vessels make quite a site as they make their way to Greenock Ocean Terminal in the early hours.

Pic1: The new cruise terminal on Greenock's waterfront took on the look of a Miami pier, with two very large cruise ships disembarking visitors at the same time. Jewel of the Seas took up all of the new pontoon structure and Serena docked on the main quayside.

Greenock Telegraph: Jewel of the Seas and Serena cruise ships at Greenock

Pic2: Passenger on the QE 2 gathered on her afterdecks to get an early-morning view of Inverclyde on a sunny morning back in 2008.

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Pic3: Cruise visitors onboard Anthem of the Seas studied us from afar from a novel observation eye attached to an extending arm. Tourists were elevated to the skies, to get a bird's-eye view of Greenock and beyond.

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Pic4: Taken with a long lens, this picture gives an idea of just how large some cruise vessels are in relation to familiar objects and buildings. The 290 -metre-long Ruby Princess dwarfed the nearby Clydeport Estuary Control Tower.

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Pic5: It was rise and shine for these two cruise passengers onboard Celebrity Silhouette.

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They enjoyed a view of Inverclyde before heading out on their day of discovery.