THINK of a holiday at sea on one of those floating palaces sometimes referred to as cruise ships, and what comes to mind?

Stately ballrooms, midnight smorgasbords, dinner in best bib and tucker at the captain’s table, and more exotic destinations than Tony Blair’s summer holiday schedule, perhaps?

But dig a bit deeper, and there’s far more to it than that – certainly as far as Liverpool’s economy is concerned. As we reveal today, the city’s leading cruise operator, Fred Olsen Cruise Line, is pulling its Liverpool-based programme from next year, because of docking problems at the much- maligned Langton Dock, in Bootle.

So what, some may say, it just means that people will have to get on board elsewhere.

But consider this. Merely docking Fred Olsen’s cruise liner, Boudicca, at the Langton Dock on a regular basis is worth about £4m to the local economy. Apart from the value of the port fees themselves, all manner of people currently involved in restocking the ship, in pilotage, in refuelling, and in providing transport and taxis, will suddenly find themselves surplus to requirements. That’s a sizeable chunk out of anyone’s budget.

The solution, of course, is obvious – but, as the city knows to its cost, is fraught with difficulties. The universally-admired Pier Head cruise terminal would be an ideal base, according to Fred Olsen – but European funding rules have stipulated it cannot be used as a berth for turnaround sailings.

If it could be . . . end of problem. At the moment, though, those hard and fast rules remain irrevocably unbreakable. Maybe Fred Olsen officials are hoping their hardline stance on this issue might force someone’s hand, so that the Pier Head might come into the reckoning.

It may be a dangerous game of brinkmanship, but if it succeeds then Liverpool will benefit considerably. If Fred Olsen truly mean to pull out, though, the city will pay a heavy price.