€15m boost from cruise liners
Ten giant cruise liners will call at the port of Dublin next year under the terms of a deal struck with Princess Cruises, one of the world’s biggest holiday companies.
The move will generate an estimated €23m for the Irish economy.
The liners involved will have a total of 26,400 international passengers and 14,100 crew.
The overall number of passengers calling at Dublin port this year will be almost 40,000, double the figure recorded four years ago.
Because of the additional liner traffic, the Dublin Port company is expected to seek financing for a special new terminal to deal with the visiting liners.
Company chief executive Enda Connellan said the latest deal marked a major endorsement for Dublin as an active international destination.
He added: “We now need to consider investing in a dedicated cruises terminal at Dublin Port to maintain and grow this lucrative business.
“A first step will be to see how this investment will be funded so that the cost is shared by those who will benefit from the increased liner traffic.”
A recent survey by experts at Cork University said that cruise liners arriving at Irish ports contributed around €65.9m to Ireland’s economy last year.
Dublin port accounted for 46% of that figure.
