CRUISES:A RECORD NUMBER of cruise ships will be calling to the ports of Dublin, Cork, Waterford and Belfast this year.
Some 181 cruise ships will visit, with more than 200,000 passengers and crews spending a day in port each time. The only port receiving no cruise ships this year is Derry, which nine liners called to in 2007.
Visiting ships will vary in size from small exclusive liners, such as the ships of the Seabourn and Silversea cruise lines, with 200-300 passengers, to the floating resorts of Royal Caribbean and Princess Cruises,which carry more than 3,000 passengers each. Dublin Port estimates that the value to the economy of cruise visits will be in the region of €35 million- €50 million this year.
The cruise season began in Cobh, Co Cork, this week with a visit, on its maiden voyage, from the MSC Poesia. Launched last week in Dover by the Italian film star Sophia Loren, and with a concert by Andrea Bocelli, the ship was the biggest ever to dock at Cobh Cruise Terminal.
Two hundred Irish passengers joined the ship on its first cruise to the Mediterranean.
The Italian-owned MSC Poesia is 293m long. But it will be superseded by one of the world's largest passenger ships, Independence of the Seas, which will call to Cobh on its maiden voyage on May 4th. It is 339m long and will carry more than 4,300 passengers and crew.
During the year 14 ships will be picking up passengers in Ireland for cruises to a variety of destinations, including elsewhere in the British Isles, northern Europe, the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands and Iceland.
"Last year there were only three ships picking up in Ireland. Growth has been outstanding," said John Galligan of John Galligan Travel, which sells a broad range of cruise holidays.
The biggest draw, he believes, is value for money. "The lead-in price for the 11-day Mediterranean cruise on Poesia was €870, and that included entertainment and all the food you could eat," he said.
Among the more famous ships visiting Ireland during the year will be the QE2 , which will visit Cobh and Belfast at the beginning of October on its final voyage, before it relocates to Dubai as a floating hotel. The MS Fram will also visit Cork city on its voyage back from the Antarctic to Norway.
Berths are still available on Independence of the Seas for its maiden voyage from Southampton on May 2nd for four nights from €546 per person sharing. See www.royalcaribbean.com or contact your travel agent.