Belfast’s 2023 cruise season concluded with the arrival of Fred Olsen Cruise Line’s Borealis on October 20th bringing the total cruise ship calls in 2023 to 158, up 8pc increase from the previous record set in 2019 before the pandemic.
57 ships from 32 different cruise lines visited Belfast during the season, carrying approximately 320,000 passengers and crew. This included 14 ships making their maiden calls to Belfast.
The year also marked the arrival of the 2 millionth cruise visitor to Belfast Harbour since the first cruise ship arrived in 1996. The milestone passenger arrived on the Norwegian Dawn in May.
Cruise Belfast estimates that the increased passenger numbers injected over £20m into the local economy through passenger spending.
Bookings for the 2024 cruise season are strong, similar to this year’s record season, indicating continued interest in Belfast as a destination.
Belfast’s infrastructure investment, iconic attractions like Titanic Belfast and Hillsborough Castle and Gardens, as well as cultural programming for 2024, aim to attract growing cruise tourism.
Cruise tourism contributes significantly to Belfast’s visitor economy and adds vibrancy to the city region, making it one of Europe’s vibrant and captivating destinations.
