The number of cruise ships expected to dock in Belfast Harbour this season represents a 20% increase on the previous record set in 2019. In 2019, Cruise Belfast opened the first dedicated cruise terminal on the island of Ireland, and this purpose-built facility can accommodate all vessels currently operating in the UK and Ireland region.
The cruise industry in Northern Ireland continues to provide a welcome boost to the economy. Michael Robinson, Port Director for Belfast Harbour, said: “With 170 vessels due to dock in Belfast this year, it’s clear that cruise tourism is back on track in 2023. Last year, we had 141 calls to the Port as we transitioned from the 2021 cruise season, which was still partially curtailed by the pandemic, but this year we are on course to surpass our previous record year in 2019 as the global industry returns to full capacity.
"15 ships calling to Belfast for the first time"
He continued: “Cruise visitors make an important contribution to Northern Ireland’s tourism mix, attracting visitors from across the globe on day trips to attractions all across the region. We’re expecting a quarter of a million passengers to arrive at Belfast Harbour this season, which will provide an estimated £20m boost to the local economy.”
Gary Hall of Belfast Harbour and Mary Jo McCanny, Visit Belfast, with Lea Goodsell, the two millionth cruise ship passenger to visit Belfast Photo: courtesy Planetradio
This season will feature six embarkation cruises departing from Belfast with Ambassador Cruise Lines, where local residents can start and finish their cruise in Belfast.
There will also be 15 ships calling to Belfast for the first time, including Disney Dream, Norwegian Prima and MSC Preziosa, as well as Ambassador Ambition, demonstrating Northern Ireland’s increasing popularity as a cruise destination and providing a testament to the quality of award-winning visitor attractions across the region.
The Belfast Harbour Cruise Ship facility
Mary Jo McCanny, Director of Visitor Servicing at Visit Belfast, added: “This is an exciting year for the city as the tourism offering is going from strength to strength with more visitor experiences such as the Titanic Belfast multimillion pound refresh, the launch of Titanic Distilleries and McConnell’s Distilleries and the reopening of HMS Caroline. The quality of our visitor attractions throughout the region continues to draw visitors from across the world, and the Visitor Services team is excited to welcome them shore-side this season.”
Last month, Belfast welcomed its two millionth cruise ship visitor; according to Cruise Belfast, the partnership between Belfast Harbour and Visit Belfast markets the city as a leading cruise ship destination. The passenger who took the number of visitors to come to Northern Ireland on cruise ships past the two million mark was Lea Godsell on board the Norwegian Dawn.
