The Manxman has made its first arrival at the Isle of Man Government's new Liverpool terminal - via virtual reality.

Steam Packet officers recently undertook a trip to simulator facilities in the Netherlands to try out some navigation scenarios on a virtual model of the Manxman.

The company's fast-craft vessel is due to start running trips to and from Merseyside by the end of March 2024.

Berthing trials at the new £70m ferry terminal are expected to start in the coming weeks, although the Manannan has been given top priority for tests.

During the virtual reality tests for the Manxman, they were able to safely test approaches to Liverpool and Heysham ports in different weather and tidal conditions.

A spokesperson from the Steam Packet said: 'This was a invaluable experience that feeds into risk assessments for the real world.'

Talking about the simulation programme, the spokesperson explained: 'The simulator always makes the water look calm, regardless of what weather conditions are programmed into it.'