National Maritime College of Ireland

Cruise Companies choose Cork

The summer of 2015 is one of great importance for the Port of Cork. With several Cruise Ships set to dock in our harbour, whether it be at the deep water berth in Ringaskiddy or at the dedicated cruise berth in Cobh, it looks like this summer will see Cork become the  tourist destination of choice for many cruise passengers. Most recently the MSC Splendida stopped in the dedicated cruise berth in Cobh on Tuesday May 12th.

Before entering Dublin Port, which has 300m operational limit on ship length, MSC Splendida’s captain flew from Italy to Cork to practice the navigation on our  high-tech bridge simulator at the National Maritime College of Ireland. The MSC Splendida had previously cruised into the history books with the arrival of the 333m long MSC Splendida cruise liner, the longest ship to ever call at Dublin Port.

She is one of 83 cruise calls confirmed for Dublin Port this year, which will see a total of 140,000 passengers arriving to sample the sights of Dublin. The MSC Cruises ship built in 2009 has 4,600 passengers and crew that were greeted  by a Celtic-inspired welcome on the quayside. This featured a live ceili band, Irish drummers, dancers and entertainment before passengers departed for the city’s shops and attractions.

We can’t just let Dublin have all the credit though, Port of Cork is set to welcome a staggering 43 cruise ships by the end of October. Cruise companies are acknowledging the value of Port of Cork and what Cork has to offer its passengers.

With the proposed future development plans for the Port of Cork we are sure to see this figure increase in the coming years. For the full schedule why not check out the Port of Cork website here.