People are signing up for trips on the Jeanie Johnston replica Famine ship at prices ranging from €100 a day.
But some are prepared to pay up to €10,000 for a longer trip abroad on the €15 million Kerry ship. They would be "supernumerary crew members", with a few light tasks thrown in, a spokesman for the company said yesterday.
It appears that some people received Christmas and New Year's gifts from friends and employers of the less costly €100 per day, three-day voyage to Belfast on January 14th.
"We have to do what we can to keep afloat. Hosting corporate events was always part of the plan for the ship," according to Mr Brendan Dineen, company secretary.
Other Irish destinations for this winter - where up to 29 sail trainees can book four- and five-day voyages on the vessel - include Belfast to Waterford on January 20th and Waterford to Fenit on February 3rd.
The first leg on the transatlantic route - a 21-day trip from Fenit to Tenerife - costs €2,500 for sail trainees and €5,000 for supernumerary crew members.
Sail trainees take an active part in the work of the ship, Mr Dineen explained.
The voyage from Tenerife to North American will take 35 days.
Two of the original 10 passengers who booked the millennium voyage in 2000 have rebooked, Mr Dineen confirmed.
The charge is €10,000 for this part of the trip.
"The original 10 were given their 10,000 punts back two years ago when the ship was not sailing. Two of these have now come back and are flying out to Tenerife to catch the ship there," Mr Dineen said.
He defended the hosting of corporate events and parties on board the Famine ship.
"We have to keep afloat whatever way we can. Corporate events will be a big part of our earnings in North America."
It might, he said, seem incongruous to have cigars on board a Famine ship.
However, the essential message was to show "that is where we were then, this is where we are now".
There was huge interest in the voyages and in hiring the vessel for events, both here and abroad, he said.