The port of Cork yesterday played host to three cruise liners including the largest ever to visit the city, the 138,000 tonne Navigator of the Seas, heralding the end of the busiest ever season for the port with expenditure from the cruise business set to reach €35 million.
The American-owned Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas was making her third call to Cork this year when she sailed up the harbour yesterday and moored in Cobh where her 3,500 passengers disembarked for a day's sightseeing.
The spectacular cruise ship, which is 311m (1,020ft) long and 13 decks high, was greeted by glorious sunshine as she sailed past the town close to 1pm and turned in the channel near Haulbowline before berthing in Cobh.
Cobh Tourism chairman, Hendrick Verwey explained: "The Navigator of the Seas arrived from Southampton on a short break cruise and to mark her arrival, we organised a series of special events with farmers market, bands as well as free children's entertainment."
The visit was also marked by a carillon recital by resident carillonneur, Adrian Gebruers at St Colman's Cathedral from where locals were able to get a bird's eye view of the spectacular ship as she dwarfed the buildings at the quayside.
Some tourists from the luxury liner visited the Queenstown Story Centre in Cobh, while others opted to take bus tours to Cork city, Blarney Castle and Woollen Mills, the Jameson Heritage Centre in Midleton, Kinsale, Killarney and Waterford Crystal Visitor Centre.
While Cobh played host to the Navigator of the Seas, two smaller cruise liners also visited Cork yesterday with the 420-passenger Colombus berthing at North Custom House Quay and the 675- passenger, Saga Ruby berthing at Ringaskiddy.
And later this week, three further cruise liners, the Crystal Symphony with 1,000 passengers, the Discovery with 700 and the Deutschland with 600 will also berth in Cobh.
According to port of Cork commercial manager, Capt Michael McCarthy, this year's cruise season will see an increase of over 30 per cent in cruise liner passengers with an extra 10,000 visitors bringing the total numbers visiting Cork on cruise liners this summer to 45,000.
"In 2004 when the port handled 36 cruise ships and 35,000 passengers, it generated €28 million in revenue and supported 204 full-time equivalent jobs - this year by season's end, the port will handle 39 cruise ships and generate direct and indirect expenditure of €35 million."