Tag Archives: Dublin port

Celebrity Cruises reveals identity of new ships for Dublin and Southampton

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Celebrity Eclipse, home porting in Southampton

Celebrity Cruises has revealed Celebrity Eclipse will become the first ship from a major line to homeport in Dublin in 2018 after spending the last eight years sailing out of Southampton.

Solstice-class sister vessel Celebrity Silhouette will replace Eclipse in Southampton, offering northern Europe and Mediterranean itineraries from 2018. The deployment is the most significant ever made in the UK and Ireland by Celebrity Cruises.

Silhouette will sail seven and eight-night Norwegian Fjord sailings, 12 to 14 night Scandinavia and Russia itineraries and 13 to 14 night Mediterranean, Canaries and Azores itineraries.

Jo Rzymowska, vice president and managing director for the UK, Ireland and Asia, said: “The performance of the Celebrity Cruise UK and Ireland business has gone from strength to strength in recent years and we are pleased to be able to grow our offering in the region with both Celebrity Silhouette and Celebrity Eclipse homeporting from here during the 2018 season.

“After speaking with our trade partners we saw this as a great opportunity for us to expand and this is the biggest ever change made to UK and Ireland deployment.”

Rzymowska said Celebrity Eclipse is well known by customers and trade so would build a solid foundation as the line’s first ship sailing out of Dublin.

“Eclipse is a much-loved ship, so by moving her to Dublin we believe some guests will follow, as well as attracting new passengers too.

“Dublin is very popular with our north American guests who have great affinity with the country plus with its upgrades Silhouette can offer an enhanced experienced with sailings out of Southampton.”

Russia sailings on Celebrity Silhouette from Southampton in July 2018 include the chance to attend the 2018 Fifa World Cup in Moscow including the third position match in Saint Petersburg.

During its farewell season in 2017, Celebrity Eclipse will host a special ‘Modern Luxury’ two-night sailing to Le Havre as well as a President’s Cruise attended by the line’s president and chief executive Lisa Lutoff Perlo.

The Solstice-class ships will be joined by two other Celebrity vessels in Europe in 2018.

Celebrity Constellation will sail out of Venice, Rome and Barcelona while Celebrity’s newest ship Reflection will sail out of Rome with eastern and western Mediterranean itineraries.

Giant Cruise ship MSC Splendida To Return to Dublin Port This Thursday

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MSC Splendida pictured in Tunis, by Dave Jones

Report by: Afloat.ie

MSC Cruises operators of the massive MSC Splendida have confirmed that the ship will be back for a second visit to Dublin Port at 4.30am this Thursday, May 21.

Following MSC Splendida’s debut call last week (Monday, May 11)  as previously reported on Afloat.ie, the cruiseship had been scheduled to anchor offshore at Dun Laoghaire, but has now changed its plans to re-enter Dublin Port.

“Getting MSC Splendida into Dublin Port is no mean feat,” said Giles Hawke, MSC Cruises executive director for the UK and Ireland.

“But judging by the amazing feedback we have received, it is certainly an effort worth making. Our cruise guests love the convenience of being able to disembark quickly and make the most of their time in such a beautiful and friendly city.”

MSC Splendida made maritime history as the largest cruise ship ever to dock in Dublin Port during her recent visit, and staff were “blown away” by the amount of people lining the Liffey to wave it off, Hawke added.

Having carried out preparations for the anticipated visit, however, the Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company expressed dismay over the change of plans.

“We are disappointed and surprised that the MSC Splendida has transferred its call to Dublin Port, considering that this was a scheduled anchorage call to Dun Laoghaire Harbour,” said Captain Simon Coates, Habour Master, Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

Dun Laoghaire had expected to welcome 21 cruise ships this season; while Dublin Port is set to welcome 83.

For much more The Independent has a report here.

Afloat.ie adds that Royal Princess (see previous report) which is even larger than the MSC Splendida (137.936 tons) was due to make a return call to Dun Laoghaire this Sunday, however according to the Dublin Port cruise schedule she is also instead to call to the capital on Sunday.

The Royal Princess had been due to make a repeat anchorage call off Dun Laoghaire Harbour that same day next weekend though this will be her first call to Dublin Port.

Royal Princess at 142,000 tonnes is in fact larger than MSC Splendida (137.936 tons) and will so outpace last week’s record for the largest ever ship of any type to visit Dublin Port. As for length, MSC Spendida still holds that title as the longest cruiseship ever at 333m to enter the port. 

Afloat.ie will have more to add to this latest developmment.

In the meantime, Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company can look forward tomorrow (May 20) to the visit of Cunard Line’s flagship Queen Mary 2, the cruise-liner having made her debut off the south Dublin Bay port in 2013.

 

Huge cruise ship arrives at mouth of Liffey

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Splendida carries more than 4,600 passengers and crew on board 333 metre vessel

MSC Splendida and Dawn

As the sun rose on Monday morning, the world’s 11th largest cruise ship, the MSC Splendida, reversed its way up the mouth of the Liffey and into Dublin Port.

Being too big to turn here, the 140,000 tonne liner had to enter Alexandra Basin stern first. It is the biggest ship to ever dock in Dublin Port and its arrival required a good deal of planning.

“The preparation would have started a number of weeks ago when we were approached by MSC and asked would we be able to bring such a big ship in,” said Dublin Port chief executive Eamonn O’Reilly.

“The captain, Gieuseppe Maresca, would have done simulations down at the National Maritime College of Ireland with our harbour master David Dignam and with our pilots to see how you manoeuvre such a large ship into a relatively confined port like Dublin,” said Mr O’Reilly, adding: “everything went very smoothly”.

Down at berth 33, the disembarking passengers were met by a live céilí band, drummers and dancers before departing in buses and taxis for Dublin City. An enthusiastic Armin Benz, from Hamburg, said the ship, which carries 4,600 passengers and crew, was “very great for everything”.

It is one of 83 cruise ship visits confirmed for Dublin Port this year. Dublin Port Company and Dublin City Council are promoting the city as a marquee destination for cruise liners and it is expected that a total of 140,000 cruise ship passengers will visit Dublin this year, with that figure expected to double over the next decade.

Australian couple Rod and Kay Dennings, who paid 6,800 Australian dollars (€4,800) for 34 days on board, said they were looking forward to visiting the cafés in Dublin and talking to people. “That’s what Australians do”.

They had misgivings about the size of the ship, saying liners are now getting bigger and bigger, often to the detriment of the experience.

“It’s too big,” said Kay. “You can imagine 4,000 people at meal times and in lifts—a lot of German people. You just want to cover your head over. It’s too much.”

The pair from Queensland joined the Splendida in Genoa, Italy, last month. They enjoy cruises but said they’ve noticed a low cost element creeping in over the last number of years.

“When we first started cruising they put a jug of water on the table. Now you’ve got to get it yourself or buy their water,” said Rod. “They’ve got their hands in your pocket every which way they can.”

But they said they like Ireland and are happy to be here again. When they’re finished with the cafés, it’s back onto the boat before it pulls out of Dublin, bow first, and makes its way to Cork.

Redevelopment

The planned Alexandra Basin Redevelopment Project will allow larger ships of all types to routinely call to the port.

Cruise ships will berth upriver at the East Link Bridge and ships greater than 300m in length will be able to turn in the newly expanded Alexandra Basin West.

The project, once complete, will mean that Dublin Port will be able to handle the world’s top ten largest cruise liners, including the 360m long Allure of the Seas.

The Splendida, which mostly sails around the Mediterranean, made headlines recently when some of her passengers were caught up in a terrorist attack in Tunisia.

The vessel was moored off Tunis in March when gunmen attacked the city’s Bardo museum killing 21 foreign tourists and a policeman.

Twelve Splendida guests lost their lives in that attack and the operator decided to replace Tunisia with Malta (La Valletta port) for all Western Mediterranean 2015 cruises.

The current 15-day northern Europe cruise departed Hamburg on Friday, May 1st with stops at Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Invergordon and Greenock before stopping in Dublin.

Operated by MSC Cruises and registered in Panama, the 333 metre vessel entered service in 2009 after being launched by actress Sophia Loren and has 1,637 cabins across 18 decks.

The vessel will to Southampton from Cork on Wednesday before making it back to Hamburg on Saturday.

Dublin Port Company, which is to jointly host a major three-day Cruise Europe Conference in 2016 with Dublin City Council, confirmed on Tuesday that Dublin Port will become the first Irish port to welcome Disney Cruise Line and 2,700 passengers along with a complement of 950 cast and crew in June 2016.