Saga Maiden Call

THE Cruise Belfast Initiative, a partnership between the Belfast Visitor & Convention Bureau (BVCB) and the Port of Belfast is celebrating the arrival of another major cruise ship as the Saga Ruby sails into port.

The vessel is one of two Saga cruise ships carrying 750 passengers and crew that will visit the city this year as part of a “Charms of the Emerald Isle” tour arriving from Killybegs and calling at Belfast and Derry.

The 25,000 tonne vessel which claims to offer a classic cruise experience for passengers aged 50 and over is just one of 31 cruise ships coming to Belfast in the busiest cruise season the city has enjoyed to date.

The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Jim Rodgers, was there to welcome cruise passengers as they stepped off the liner.

“It is a great privilege for me to have the opportunity to greet people from around the world who have come to visit Belfast and to be welcoming the eighteenth of 31 cruise ships this year is very exciting.  The steady increase in visitors coming into Belfast over the last number of years and the addition of another major company to the cruise calendar is an indication of how the city’s reputation as a desirable tourist destination has expanded,” the Lord Mayor said.

Gerry Lennon, BVCB Chief Executive, was also at the quay to greet visitors.  He said;

“Belfast is an ideal destination for cruise ships because it is such a compact and accessible city and we have so much of interest to offer those who only have a limited time to explore.  At BVCB, we want to ensure that visitors are well taken care of with complementary bus transfers into the city and organised tours allowing them to make the most of their time here.  We have had overwhelmingly positive responses from cruise customers over the last number of years with many people returning to the city, having thoroughly enjoyed their first visit.”

Roy Adair, Chief Executive of the Port of Belfast, added;

“2007 has been a tremendously successful cruise season with some of the biggest names in cruising choosing to include Belfast in their itineraries.  We are delighted that Saga Holidays will not only make two cruise calls at the Port of Belfast this year but has already confirmed that it will be making three calls to the city in 2008, proof, if proof were needed, of Belfast’s standing on the international cruising calendar.”