Cruises and Cruise Liner Visits to Ireland

At the UK's busiest ferryport, the Port of Dover where the Golden Horizon, the world's tallest cruise ship departed the English south-east port on a maiden passenger voyage within UK waters. AFLOAT adds the voyages described as 'Staycations at Sea' involve calls along the English Channel including Falmouth in Cornwall and Harwich, Essex on the North Sea. In the background Afloat adds ferries from operators, DFDS and P&O Ferries. Since last month however a newcomer on the Strait of Dover, Irish Ferries entered to compete on the famous short-sea route connecting Calais in France.

World's Largest Cruise Tallship, Golden Horizon Calls to Port of Dover For Inaugural Call

27th July 2021 Cruise Liners

The World's largest square-rigged sailing vessel, the brand new cruise tallship Golden Horizon in mid-July sailed into the Port of Dover; the ship's departure port for four new UK voyages throughout this month. The Golden Horizon, a near replica of…

The luxury Tall Ship 'Sea Cloud II' arrives into Cork Harbour on a Summer visit in 2019

Port of Cork and Cobh & Harbour Chamber to Hold Joint Virtual Workshop on Cruise Tourism

13th July 2021 Cruise Liners

On Thursday 15th July, Cobh and Harbour Chamber and the Port of Cork will jointly host an online cruise tourism workshop. The workshop is aimed at local tourist attractions and providers and is a great opportunity to hear about the…

Resumption of UK cruises continue as Fred Olsen Guest Services team seen jumping for joy as they get ready to welcome their first guests on board Borealis Maiden Voyage Cruise which started last night. The inaugural 3 nights cruise of the Scottish Western Isles, embarked guests at the Irish Sea port of Liverpool from where the cruiseship set off to tour scenic sights among them the Isle of Staffa.

Fred Olsen Resumes UK Cruises As Part of Reopening Coupled with Newest Member to the Fleet

6th July 2021 Cruise Liners

After many months away from operating due to pandemic, Fred Olsen Cruise Lines finally resumed with a maiden cruise by newcomer Borealis, albeit only within UK waters due to travel related restrictions, writes Jehan Ashmore. Borealis departed Liverpool Cruise Terminal…

Cobh Chamber of Commerce is offering advice to businesses as the Cork Harbour town looks forward to welcoming the ocean cruise ship giants again early next year

Cobh Sets Date to Welcome Back Cruise Liners - Early Next Year

5th July 2021 Cruise Liners

The cruise line business globally may have been devastated by the ongoing pandemic - but Cobh in Cork Harbour, hopes to start welcomming back the ships from early next year. The local Chamber of Commerce believes the ocean-going giants will…

Stringent Health & Safety Covid19 protocols were put in place as Belfast Harbour welcomed their first cruise call in 15 months with the arrival of MSC Virtuosa above on the flat still waters of Belfast Lough

UK Cruise Industry Set Sails Again As First Caller to Belfast Harbour Arrived Today

17th June 2021 Cruise Liners

Major cruises from British ports will resume this week with a maiden voyage of a vessel around the coast of the UK. MSC Cruises second ship of the Meraviglia-Plus class, Afloat adds is MSC Virtuosa, which according to the Belfast Telegraph, will…

UK waters where the Port of Southampton marked the return of cruises since the pandemic began. Above MSC Virtuosa became the first cruiseship to embark cruising, albeit to ports within Britain.

First UK Cruise Since Pandemic Departs On the Solent

22nd May 2021 Cruise Liners

In UK waters is where the first cruise voyage since the coronavirus pandemic began has got under way. As BBC News reported, MSC Virtuosa departed Southampton (yesterday evening) on a four-night English Channel excursion, with a stop at Portland in…

P&O Cruises newbuild cruise ship was greeted by a water salute as it sailed into the Port of Southampton.

Largest Cruiseship Built for UK Market Arrives at Southampton for Naming Ceremony

17th May 2021 Cruise Liners

In the UK, the largest cruise ship built for holidaymakers has arrived in England at the Port of Southampton. P&O Cruises' Iona was designed to hold more than 5,000 people in the days before social distancing. The newbuild arrived ahead…

In a competition in the UK to name the Port of Southampton's new dedicated fifth terminal for cruiseships, has been announced as the 'Horizon Cruise Terminal'. According to ABP, construction work is on track, and the English Channel port will be welcoming ships alongside the terminal from the summer

UK Ports Group, ABP Announce Competition Name Chosen for New Southampton Cruise Terminal

4th May 2021 Cruise Liners

The UK's main cruise port, Southampton has announced that nearly 4,000 name suggestions from across the world entered into a competition, to name the English Channel port's fifth dedicated terminal, the 'Horizon Cruise Terminal'. Associated British Ports (ABP) yesterday announced…

Fears liners may not return to Irish ports before 2022. AFLOAT adds above the distinctive twin funnelled Disney Magic paying homage to the 'Golden' era of cruiseliners. The operator, Disney Cruise Lines is according to Cork Beo to call to Dublin and Cork but not until September 2022.

Passports for Vaccine & Covid-19 Tests to Help Battered Cruise Sector Bounce Back

6th April 2021 Cruise Liners

Passports for vaccination and precautionary Covid-19 tests have emerged as keys to help kick-start the recovery of the crippled €70m Irish cruise ship industry. As Independent.ie writes, the revelation came as Irish ports admitted they do not expect the resumption…

P&O Cruises’ Britannia will run a series of short breaks from Southampton for vaccinated UK guests this summer

Cruise Line Wants Double-Dose Vaccinated Guests Only for Summer Voyages from UK

18th March 2021 Cruise Liners

P&O Cruises says British passengers on two of its cruise liners this summer will need be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before joining any voyage. According to Marine Industry News, it is the cruise line’s “strong expressed preference” that British guests…

Cruise ships in future visiting the Port of Holyhead will use a jetty upgraded that will make it 'more attractive' to passengers. In addition the £500K investment will also help Orthios get the jetty (above with cruiseship Silver Wind) also ready to receive recycled plastics. AFLOAT adds the jetty leads off the north Wales's ferryport at Salt Island located in the centre of the outer harbour. Afloat tracked today the new UK polar research vessel Sir David Attenborough berthed at the jetty.

Cruise Ship Jetty at Holyhead Undergoes Upgrade Will Make it 'More Attractive' for Passengers

24th February 2021 Cruise Liners

Cruiseships that had used the deep water jetty at the Port of Holyhead, NorthWalesLive reports, is now receiving an upgrade that will make it more attractive for passengers and prepare it for a new use. Work has begun on the…

"We expect to be heading to 150 cruise liner visits per year in the late 2020s when the two Cobh terminals are open," said Port of Cork chairman, John Mullins. Above AFLOAT adds is Cobh where a Celebrity Cruises 'Solstice' classship is seen from a Maersk containership 'banana boat' that departed from nearby Ringaskiddy, where the Deepwater Berth, the PoC plan to use less for large cruiseships due to increased freight demand. This will concentrate cruise operations already existing at Cobh and a add a new 'interim' mini-cruise berth upriver at Marino Point.

Second Cruise Ship Terminal Port of Cork Plans for Cobh

17th February 2021 Cruise Liners

A second cruise ship terminal the Port of Cork hopes to be operational in Cobh by the end of the decade which will see up to 150 such ships visiting the town every year. In the interim it's planned to…

Cruiseships of Collapsed CMV that Served Irish Cruisegoers 'Directly' - Head to the Shipbreakers

14th February 2021 Cruise Liners

Three cruiseships, two of which served Irish holidaymakers on non-fly 'direct' cruises out of Dublin and Cork in the last decade, have this winter departed UK waters but to head to the shipbreakers, writes Jehan Ashmore. All these developments originate…

The coronavirus pandemic has largely shut down the cruise industry. Above Afloat adds is a 'Quantum'-class cruise ship of operator Royal Caribbean International (RCI).

Singapore 'Cruise to Nowhere' Ends after Passenger Tests Positive for Covid-19

9th December 2020 Cruise Liners

A cruise ship operated by Royal Caribbean has returned to Singapore on day three of a four-day "cruise to nowhere" after a passenger tested positive for Covid-19. BBC News reports, the Asian city state's "cruises to nowhere" - starting and…

Cruises by P&O were abandoned in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. Above AFLOAT's photo of the operator's 'adults' only Arcadia in Dublin Bay during an 'anchorage' call off Dun Laoghaire Harbour. The Vista class cruiseship is currently among a quartet of cruiseships in UK waters offshore of Teignmouth, Devon having previously been at anchor off Weymouth this summer.

Cruise Operator P&O Cancels Sailings Up to April 2021

25th November 2020 Cruise Liners

Operator P&O Cruises will not resume cruise sailings until at least April next year. The company ended its cruises in March in response to the coronavirus pandemic and has not resumed any of its voyages since. The Southampton-based firm, which is…

Balance sheet has been strained at the TUI Group due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Afloat adds in July, the first large cruiseship to operate after the initial Covid-19 lock-down was subsidiary, TUI Cruises Mein Schiff 2 with a restricted 1,200 passenger capacity while on a non-landing cruise off Norway. Above is leadship Mein Schiff 1 seen several years ago when on an anchorage call in Dublin Bay from where passengers were tendered ashore to Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

Travel Giant TUI Reduces Winter Capacity, Continues to Evaluate Funding Options

22nd September 2020 Cruise Liners

TUI the world's largest holiday company (including cruiseships) said that it had reduced capacity for the coming winter season due to changing travel restrictions, and it continued to evaluate options to boost its balance sheet which has been strained by…