The Port of Cork has said cruise liner traffic will exceed pre-pandemic levels next year, with more than one hundred of the world’s most luxurious liners due to arrive.
The cruise season drew to a close on Tuesday when the MS Borealis docked in Cobh, bringing the last associated with 115, 000 cruise visitors to Cork this year.
After two years of quiet streets and an even quieter harbour, Bantry Bay and the Port of Natural have seen a significant recovery in luxury cruise traffic in 2022.
Despite some Covid-19 precautions still in place — liners operating at 75% capacity — the 2022 time of year has welcomed 90 cruise ships to Cork, nearing pre-pandemic levels of 100 per year.
Conor Mowlds, chief commercial officer at the particular Port associated with Cork Company, said the sector plays a crucial role in the country’s tourism and hospitality sectors.
“We were delighted to see it return this year to some great degree of success. We made many strides within rebuilding the particular sector to pre-pandemic amounts and the outlook for 2023 is even more positive, with in excess of 100 vessels scheduled in order to call to the Slot of Natural so far, ” he said.
Among the 90 ships to visit Cork this season was one of the largest in the world, the particular MSC Virtuosa, which weighs over 180, 000 tonnes.
Virtuosa has the capacity to carry 6, 300 passengers, with 1, 700 crew on board, and in 331m inside length, it is almost five times longer than the height associated with the Elysian Tower within Cork City.
The cruise trip liner industry brings in an estimated €14m to Cork’s economy each year plus €70m to the national economy.
The MS Borealis cruise ship docked quayside in Cobh Cruise Terminal on Tuesday morning as part of an 11-day voyage that began within Liverpool. The particular liner departs Cobh upon Tuesday evening for the particular Azores.
Johanna Murphy, president of Cobh and Harbour Chamber, said the return of sail liners has been the “wonderful boost” for the town.
“The atmosphere in the city when a ship will be in is just electric, not only from the influx of passengers on board visiting Cobh but from the particular many people who visit from all over the country to find out these ships up close. It has been especially beneficial for Cobh travel and leisure and trade, ” she said.
The industry is expected to surpass pre-pandemic ranges next 12 months using more than a hundred cruise liners because of to call to Cork in 2023, with some expected to dock at Natural City.