Dún Laoghaire harbour will have a record-breaking cruise ship season with more than 90 vessels expected to visit.
The rise in visiting cruise ships will bring a total of 164,000 passengers and 71,000 crew members to the area.
With 44 per cent of passengers who tender ashore visiting Dún Laoghaire Town and the surrounding area, the cruise industry is generating significant income and creating a range of job opportunities.
The benefits of these cruises extend beyond the immediate tourism sector, contributing to the restoration of the historic Harbour.
Mary Hanafin, Cathaoirleach, Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council and former Fianna Fáil said it is a “very exciting time” for Dún Laoghaire with thousands of visitors arriving in cruise ships.
Cllr Hanafin said: “The DLR Cruise Tourism Kiosk is open daily to offer advice on local attractions, while the Dún Laoghaire Business Association operates a souvenir shop for passengers.
“The benefits of these cruises extend further with job creation in various roles such as tourist cabin, security staff, and Tender escort boats”.
Dún Laoghaire Harbour was the second busiest harbour in Ireland for cruise visits last year, with 65 berthing near there - second only to Cork/Cobh and the aim is to continue to build on this success for the years ahead.
Frank Curran, Chief Executive, Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council highlighted that the “significant income” generated from the cruise ships contributes to the restoration and repair of the 200-year-old harbour and to future plans which include a national Water Sports Campus”.
Norwegian Cruise Lines will top the schedule with 20 visits to Dún Laoghaire this year, followed by Viking Cruise Lines who will visit 17 times.
Central Statistics Office figures for this year show that the combined passenger and crew complement exceeds the population of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown by nearly 1,000 people.
The 2023 cruise season will surpass last year when 65 cruise ships arrived with 79,000 passengers and 44,000 crew.
At 333 metres, the longest cruise ship will be ‘MSC Preziosa’ which has a gross tonnage of 139,072t and a capacity for 4,345 passengers and 1,313 crew. In a very close second place, is the ‘Regal Princess’ at 330m long. With a capacity for 3,592 passengers and 1,205 crew.
These enormous cruise ships are operated by MSC Cruises and Princess Cruises respectively. Both will be regular callers this year, ‘MSC Preziosa’ calling twice and ’Regal Princess’ calling 11 times.
Norwegian Cruise Lines are once again top of the schedule with frequent visits to Dún Laoghaire 20 times this year while Viking Cruises will visit 17 times this year sending seven different ships from their ocean going fleet.
