As big finishes go, this was VERY big. Cork’s last cruise ship call of the season was also the largest, the MSC Virtuosa. It brought a close to a successful summer of 94 cruise ship calls, ahead of 2018 but six fewer than the 100 cruise ship calls pre pandemic in 2019.
Of these 79 called to Cobh, where there is a dedicated cruise berth, 13 to Ringaskiddy, and two to Cork City.
The Port of Cork claims to be the world’s second-largest natural harbour, after Sydney and ahead of the vociferous and well publicised claim of Poole in England and fourth placed Trincomalee in Sri Lanka.
Cork is one of the three designated Tier 1 Ports, playing a crucial role in meeting Ireland’s port capacity requirements. As a multi-model port, it services all six shipping modes. The Port of Cork Company handles the commercial running of the Cork harbour and navigation, supporting thousands of jobs indirectly.
Over 180,000 passengers visited Cork via the cruise ships. Some estimates put the value to the economy at €70m and €14m to local economies like Cork.
The Regal Princess had the most calls with 14 visits, and it can accommodate up to 3,592 passengers.
The MSC Virtuosa is the 15th largest cruise ship in the world, largest in the MSC fleet along with sister ship Grandiosa, measures 331m, contains 2,421 cabins on 15 passenger-accessible decks (18 decks total). and has capacity for 4,842 passengers double occupancy and /6,334 maximum.
With a smaller passenger capacity but nine metres more length, Disney Dream became the longest vessel to dock at Cobh, 339m long with a maximum passenger capacity of 4,000.
Conor Mowlds, chief commercial officer at the Port of Cork Company said: “the cruise industry continues to contribute a major part in the success of the Irish tourism and hospitality sectors. This year, we have had a 16pc increase in the number of cruise liners docking in Cork, with nine ships making their maiden call. As a result, we have welcomed an additional 60,000 passengers compared to 2022. This considerable increase in visitors demonstrates the strength of Cork as a highly desirable tourist destination.”
Toddy Stafford, president of Cobh and Harbour Chamber added: “The cruise season is always a key highlight of our year for the town of Cobh and the wider local harbour community. Throughout the season, the series of impressive vessels attracts a large number of visitors to Cobh and brings a vibrant atmosphere to the town. This year’s increase in footfall has been beneficial to businesses and traders, providing a solid boost to our local economy.”
