Cruise calls to come thick and fast for city in 2016

This year Belfast is set to sail into the record books with the biggest number of cruise passenger visits in its history.
By The Newsroom
Published 27th Jan 2016, 00:26 BST
Updated 27th Jan 2016, 00:29 BST

A statement from marketing campaign Cruise Belfast revealed that more than 145,000 passengers and crew are due to visit during the course of the year; a notable increase compared with 2015, when almost 115,000 passengers and crew visited the city.

In addition, a Belfast Harbour spokesman said that they expect a new cruise berth to be in place close to the RSPB reserve to the east of Belfast by spring 2017.

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Hailing the news of the high visitor numbers, Joe O’Neill, Belfast Harbour’s commercial director, said: “This is a fantastic announcement for Northern Ireland’s tourism industry with thousands of first-time visitors getting the chance to sample the region’s great scenery, attractions, warm welcome and hospitality.

“In the past five years we have almost doubled the number of cruise ships calling into Belfast which is a major achievement and a tremendous vote of confidence in Northern Ireland’s tourism offer.”

Belfast’s first modern cruise call was in the late 1990s.

In total during 2016, Belfast Harbour will play host to 81 cruise calls in 2016.

Several cruise operators have significantly increased the number of times they plan to call at Belfast this year, with UK­-based Cruise & Maritime Voyages being scheduled to call a total of eight times following the successful single call of its cruise ship the MV Magellan in 2015, with Fred Olsen Cruise Line also increasing the number of its calls from seven in 2015 to a total of 11 visits in 2016.

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A spokesperson for Belfast Harbour said in a statement: “In recent years cruise lines operating on western European itineraries have introduced larger and longer vessels which require deeper channels and additional quay space.

“To accommodate these next-generation cruise ships and the increased popularity of Belfast, Belfast Harbour plans to develop a new cruise berth at D3, near the RSPB nature reserve on the County Down side of the port.

“This £14m project, developed following positive feedback from cruise line operators and excursion providers, will enhance passengers’ experience of Belfast and further support the city’s popularity as a cruise destination.”

It had previously been thought that a new berth might be sited in the Titanic Quarter area, nearer the city centre.

Related topics:BelfastBelfast HarbourRSPBNorthern Ireland