Dublin Port has reached agreement with one of the largest cruise companies in the world which will see an additional ten giant cruise liners and over 40,000 passengers and crew disembark in the city next year.
The company announced an agreement with Princess Cruises, one of the largest cruise companies in the world, which will bring liners carrying 26,400 passengers and 14,100 crew in a deal which is estimated to be worth €23 million to the local economy.
Dublin Port has seen the number of cruise liner passengers calling at Dublin Port increase steadily over the last few years and will welcome almost 40,000 passengers to the Port in 2004, a 100 per cent increase on 2000.
A recent study undertaken by The Centre for Policy Studies, University College Cork, highlighted that cruise liners arriving at Irish ports contributed €65.9 million to the economy in 2003 in the direct and indirect purchase of goods and services.
"This deal represents a major endorsement for Dublin Port as an attractive international destination by one of the major international cruise liner operators," the Dublin Port Company ceo, Mr Enda Connellan said today,
He said the company now needed to consider investing in "a dedicated cruise terminal" at the port to "maintain and grow this lucrative business".
