HUNDREDS of passengers have been taking 'once in a lifetime' tours of large cruise ships anchored off Weymouth.

The boss of Weymouth Bay Rib Charter - one of the companies that is running tours to cruise ships off the coast - said he had been overwhelmed with demand. The company has been running four or five 45-minute boat trips a day since lockdown restrictions were eased and the cruise ships have been a great boost for the business that had been hit by the pandemic.

The tours take passengers up to around 50m away from the cruise ships. As Dorset does not usually host such large vessels, the tours have become in demand with places selling out fast and people flocking to nearby ship spotting locations on the coast to enjoy the views.

Weymouth Bay Rib Charter Director Ben Taylor said: "The cruise ships being offshore has been really positive for us as a business. People have been desperate to see the ships. We have had all sorts of people come out with us from locals to ship spotters to people who work on the ships themselves.

"People know that this will never happen again so they want to take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity. It is so unlikely that 10 cruise ships will ever come and anchor here again and we are so lucky that they are here."

The cruise ships are not the only spectacle passengers have been lucky enough to see on their trips out into the bay. Three dolphins have been delighting day-trippers as they jump out of the water and swim alongside the boats while they travel between the cruise ships.

Ben said: "People absolutely love the dolphins. The other day one of them was bringing up a bass in their mouth, throwing it in the air and then catching it again and another one jumped 10 metres into the air. They were just showing off and people were loving it."

Business has already slowed down for Ben since children returned to school and the number of tourists in Weymouth has declined. He is still determined, however, to cater for anyone who wants to go out and see the cruise ships.

He said: "We will keep going until people don't want to go out anymore. As long as it is safe to do so we will take people out to see the cruise ships. It is such a worthwhile experience."