The MSC Splendida sailed into Dublin Port yesterday to mark the beginning of the 2016 cruise season. At 333m, it is the 11th longest ship currently in the world and the longest ever to visit Dublin Port. The vastness of the ship features over a dozen bars and lounges, four swimming pools, squash courts, turkish baths, a spa, a Formula 1 simulator and a 24-hour butler service.
The ship is the first of 133 confirmed cruise calls for Dublin Port this year. This is the largest number of cruise calls in Dublin Port to date, with over 180,000 visitors being brought in on these ships.
Yesterday’s arrival of the MSC Splendida from Greenrock, Scotland brought 4,600 passengers and crew. It departed Dublin at 7.45pm for Cork.
Due to their immense size, the MSC Splendida and other ships like it cannot turn within Dublin Port and therefore need to travel stern first up the Liffey, which is a very complicated process. However, this complication will become a thing of the past upon completion of the €230 million Alexandra Basin Redevelopment Project, which will expand the capacity of the Port. This will allow very large ships to sail as far upriver as East Link Bridge.
The Dublin Port Company’s Head of Corporate Services Pat Ward made the following statement about the launch and continuing events of the 2016 cruise season:
“We are delighted to welcome the MSC Splendida, the longest ship ever to visit Dublin Port, back to the city to mark the start of our 2016 cruise season. We are shaping up for a record year in cruise tourism, with some 113 cruise calls carrying over 180,000 visitors to the city scheduled for 2016. Highlights this season include the arrival of “Disney Magic” on her maiden call to Ireland in May, as Dublin Port becomes the first Irish port to welcome Disney Cruise Line. Dublin Port will also host the Cruise Europe Conference this year, the first time the conference is to be held in Dublin.”
By Kevin Carney
All photos by Leon Farrell of Photocall Ireland.