Belfast cruises to new season

Another busy cruise season for Belfast is underway as the third of 39 cruise ships sailed into the Port of Belfast today.

The impressive cruise-ship ‘Rotterdam’, carrying over 1,900 passengers and crew is but the latest in a growing list of ships visiting Northern Ireland as a result of the award-winning Cruise Belfast initiative, a partnership between the Belfast Visitor & Convention Bureau (BVCB) and the Port of Belfast and supported by NITB.

Belfast’s First Citizen, The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Tom Hartley was at the quayside to greet the passengers and crew as they disembarked:

“It’s a pleasure to welcome the passengers and crew of the MS-Rotterdam to Belfast in what is one of my last official roles as Lord Mayor. It is always encouraging to welcome people to the city and today’s visitors seemed genuinely excited at the prospect of exploring Belfast and beyond, many of whom are in the region for the very first time.

“Tourism has been one of Belfast’s success stories over the last decade and it’s fantastic to see Belfast continuing to be a popular port of call for cruise ships from around the world. Another busy season of cruise ship visits reflects the successes of promoting Belfast as a welcoming tourism destination” he concluded.

Susie McCullough, BVCB’s Director of Marketing was also at there to welcome visitors,

“The Port of Belfast enters its 2^nd decade of welcoming cruise ships and their passengers and crew to Northern Ireland. Consolidating 2008’s impressive performance, we anticipate that by the time the season ends in September, Belfast will have welcomed over 62,000 passengers and crew, generating over £15 million in tourism revenue to the local economy,” she said.

“It’s a great to see the efforts of Cruise Belfast Initiative ensure that Belfast and Northern Ireland remains a popular stop for so many cruise ships and it is a testament to how the city region has developed in the last ten years. Belfast is now recognised as a vibrant, modern city, ideal as a cruise destination,” Susie added.

Joe O’Neill, Commercial Director at the Port of Belfast is looking forward to a busy cruise season.

“We have continued to invest heavily in the Port of Belfast and it is great to see how the city continues to feature in the itineraries of so many cruises. We look forward to welcoming the rest of the 39 cruise ships this season and giving passengers a very warm welcome.”

Brenda Murphy, Visitor Information Manager at NITB said,

“I’m delighted that NITB is supporting the Cruise Belfast Initiative which will see visitors arrive in Belfast from near and far. Belfast plays an important gateway role for Northern Ireland and we encourage visitors who come to explore more. We have world class visitor attractions in Belfast and throughout Northern Ireland and I am delighted that we can showcase them to the rest of the world. On behalf of NITB I would like to extend a warm welcome to the Rotterdam’s passengers and crew.”