Princess Cruises has announced that Liverpool will become a regular stop off for its new megaliner.

A £10 million investment by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) helped to fund the construction of the city's Cruise Liner Terminal.

That enabled the cruise company's Grand Princess vessel to dock in Liverpool four times during 2008, reports the Daily Post.

The city proved to be a hit with passengers, prompting the operator to make it a regular stop on the itinerary of the giant Crown Princess during 2009.

Every time the 116,000-ton vessel - which boasts 13 restaurants and two cinemas - docks in Liverpool, more than 4,000 passengers and crew will head ashore, helping to provide a valuable income stream for tourist attractions and retailers.

The NWDA's chief executive Steven Broomhead told the newspaper: "We have noticed the cruise liner programme getting stronger and stronger with more ships, bigger ships and more passengers. It demonstrates what the agency can do in terms of impact."