A BRAND-NEW boat has been introduced into City Cruises Poole fleet.

Since opening-up after lockdown, the City Cruises Poole operation saw a 245 per cent increase in revenue between May and June.

The new boat, Fortuna, will increase the Poole to Swanage summer route in 2022, effectively doubling capacity.

The company is currently recruiting for two captains and four crew members.

The vessel will operate a number of trial sailings to Swanage Pier in October and will begin her City Cruises career as a floating Santa’s grotto where families can visit Santa and have a Christmassy harbour cruise to get into the festive spirit.

Carol Scott, general manager said: “Despite the challenges of the impact of the global pandemic, we’ve had a fantastic start to recovery and a very busy summer.

“It’s been great to welcome both locals and tourists back onto the boats and provide such a fun experience for all the family.

“The acquisition of Fortuna means we can double capacity on the most popular route between Poole and Swanage and create jobs in the local area.

“In addition to Fortuna’s role as a leisure cruise, her large capacity inside and galley mean she will also be perfect for the charter market which we hope to grow for Poole.”