2007 cruise season launch
RECORD CRUISE SEASON AHEAD FOR
BELFAST
The award-winning Cruise Belfast Initiative, a partnership
between the Belfast Visitor and Convention Bureau (BVCB) and the
Port of Belfast is looking forward to its busiest ever cruise
season as it welcomes the first of an unprecedented 31 cruise ships
to Belfast on 31st March 2007.
The bumper season marks the 10th
anniversary of the first cruise visits in 1997 when two cruise
ships sailed into the port of Belfast. Between 31 March and 27
October, the 31 cruise ships arriving this year will bring an
estimated 40,000 passengers and crew into the city which will
inject an estimated £10m boost into the local economy.
The
first ship to arrive is the Black Prince, a vessel which is
scheduled to make no fewer than seven calls to Belfast this year.
Following the success of its previous visits during the 2005 and
2006 season, the prestigious Princess Cruises’ Grand Princess, with
2,600 passengers per trip, will also make four visits this
summer.
With many vessels making repeat visits this
season, BVCB and the Port of Belfast are celebrating the continued
success of the Cruise Belfast Initiative.
BVCB Chief Executive, Gerry Lennon is
delighted to be welcoming such a large number of ships this year,
commenting:
“To have 31 cruise ships coming into Belfast
this summer is a fantastic endorsement of how firmly established
the city has become as an international cruise destination. It is a
vindication of the tremendous efforts we have made to attract the
ships and showcase the dynamic and evolving face of Belfast.
It is particularly significant that major companies such as
Princess Cruises will be returning to Belfast again and that so
many of the ships coming into the port will be making several
visits throughout the season.
Joe O’Neill, Commercial Director at the Port
of Belfast is delighted that the Port can facilitate this record
number of cruise ships:
“This incredibly busy summer season is great
news for the Port of Belfast and builds on our successful cruise
season last year when we welcomed 23 vessels to the city. The
fact that we have so many ships from world-leading companies making
return calls puts us on a par with ports across the UK and
Ireland.”
BVCB is a public/private partnership funded by
Belfast City Council, NITB, and the private sector and is sponsored
by Diageo NI.