BILLY PAUL couldn't sleep and was up having his breakfast at 4.30am. He was expecting a very special visitor to Greenock and it wouldn't be a proper welcome if Billy, resplendent in kilt, wasn't on the dock.

Superliner in Clyde visit with 3110 passengers

BILLY PAUL couldn't sleep and was up having his breakfast at 4.30am. He was expecting a very special visitor to Greenock and it wouldn't be a proper welcome if Billy, resplendent in kilt, wasn't on the dock.

And he was there at 8am yesterday to watch the Crown Princess, the largest cruise ship to visit Scotland, slowly manoeuvre her way into place beside the updated Clydeport Ocean Terminal.

The Princess towered high above Greenock, bringing 3110 passengers from 25 countries and a lot of spending power to the town and surrounding area. It was pay day for taxis alone.

And as the passengers started too stream down the gangway into the sunshine, Billy and his fellow volunteers moved forward to meet and greet them - and make it a real Scottish welcome to remember.

"I make eye contact and give them a handshake and say welcome to Scotland'," Billy said.

For Billy, 72, it's a real labour of love. "I can't get here quick enough," he said enthusiastically above the skirl of the pipes.

"We do this for all the cruise ships and we put on free buses and take them on tours of the Greenock area."

It was the brainchild of local woman Lilian Newman, 61, who saw cruise passengers wandering aimlessly about and thought the town should be doing something for them.

Passengers Rick Kasperskar, 68, a metallurgist, and wife Frances, 67, from Toronto, were thrilled with the gesture and decided to take Billy's advice on where to go.

"We couldn't believe how nice it is to have this welcome and the free tours with local guide," said Frances.

"This is Canada Day and when we next celebrate it we'll remember the time we spent it in Greenock."

The couple are inveterate cruisers. "It's our eighth cruise and this is the biggest boat we've been on. A little bigger than we'd like because we still can't find our way around," she confessed. "But it's lovely. We eat non-stop, they have lovely entertainment and it's a wonderful way of relaxing."

On board, Steve Foster, a very fit 57, and his stunning wife Tina, 44, from Arkansas, had taken the chance of the gym being virtually empty, with two thirds of the passengers on shore.

"It's our 12th or 13th cruise," said Steve, a sales executive. "The main thing is you take your clothes out of the bag, hang them up and you're done. All your meals are on the table. And for the money, it's very economical."

Matt Sherry, 72, a lawyer from New Orleans, and wife Maryann, 69, a document examiner, were equally keen.

"We have regular cruises and it's easier. We usually like a smaller boat but, by the same token, you don't see the people the way it's designed," said Matt.

"The Princess knows how to take care of a big crowd," added his wife. "There's no waiting. They feed us on time.

"We meet people from all over the world who are fun to talk to and everyone is happy because they're on a cruise."

The Crown Princess dominates the quay, 18 decks high, a floating palace 950ft long (three times longer than the pitch at Celtic Park) with miles and miles of carpeting, marble and mosaic floors.

The atrium, with its sweeping staircases and glitter everywhere, reminds you of one of the big Dubai hotels.

Weirdly, once inside, you could almost forget you were on a ship. It feels like a massive hotel and leisure centre. Only when you are on the top decks with their pools and sitting areas do you get some concept of being at sea.

The Crown Princess superliner has a massive casino	Theatre	Crazy golf course	Captain Nick Nash looks out to the updated Clydeport Ocean Terminal at Greenock	One of his 3110 passengers strolls down one of the sweeping staircases in the ship's atrium

There are endless opportunities to spend money. Everything seems designed to keep you on board - the casino and speakeasy, luxury goods shops, theatre, cinema, crazy golf, pools, even an art gallery.

You can even learn how to do the Strictly Come Dancing stuff.

Every door seems to open into another themed bar or restaurant. You can easily get lost, although I think I'd make for the 14th floor and the sundeck or, better still, the Sanctuary, where no kids are allowed, the beds are the kind you sink into and you can disappear into a tent for a massage.

Captain Nick Nash, from Penzance, Cornwall, is impressed with the new terminal, once little more than a big container shed.

"It's much nicer and I think the passengers will appreciate it, particularly in inclement weather," he said.

Weddings in holiday spots abroad are all the rage, but it seems this is the case here too, and if you want, Captain Nick Nash is authorised to do the needful.

The ship's wedding planner has done her Jennifer Lopez bit and one wedding is scheduled for Sunday.

There's an assumption that cruising is for geriatrics. In fact, the average age of the 3110 passengers is between 56 and 60.

But if they do keel over from over-eating - and the food is seriously good - it's comforting to know medical help is at hand.

"We have two surgeons, five nurses and very comprehensive intensive care system as well as defibrillators all round the ship," said Captain Nash reassuringly.

And if all else fails, there's a two-berth morgue.

"On a Hawaiian cruise, we said to a grieving widow, 'we're going to land your husband today' and she said you can land him, but I'm staying on board'. Most people get off walking though," the captain grinned.

Prices range from £1049 for an inside cabin up to £2389 for a suite, with most meals all-in.

But don't all rush. Recession or not, it's fully booked for the rest of the season.