11 April 2024
By Mary Bermingham
mary@TheCork.ie
Bantry Bay Port Company marked the beginning of a busy cruise season today, Thursday, April 11th 2024 with the arrival of the Spirit of Discovery.
Michael Murphy, Assistant Harbour Master with Bantry Bay Port Company pictured to mark the first cruise ship of the season at Bantry Bay Port. With a crew and passenger capacity of just over 1,500, the Spirit of Discovery is one the largest liners that can be accommodated in Bantry Bay and is the first of 22 liners due to visit in 2024. The arrival of over 15,000 cruise ship passengers and crew in 2024 is expected to boost trade and tourism in the local area.
Picture: Michael O’Sullivan /OSM PHOTO
The arrival of the Spirit of Discovery kickstarts a record-breaking cruise season for Bantry Bay Port Company with 22 cruise ships due to arrive in 2024 – marking a 144% increase from the 2023 season. Over the coming months, these liners will bring more than 15,000 passengers and crew from all over the world to Bantry Bay providing a major boost for tourism in the surrounding area.
Operated by SAGA Cruises, the Spirit of Discovery is one of the largest liners that can be accommodated in Bantry Bay and will be anchored just off Whiddy Island for the duration of its stay. With a passenger and crew capacity of 1,527, just shy of half the population of Bantry, the Spirit of Discovery alone will bring a huge increase of footfall to the town and surrounding area over the next 24 hours.
Spirit of Discovery, first cruise ship of the season at Bantry Bay Port. With a crew and passenger capacity of just over 1,500, the Spirit of Discovery is one the largest liners that can be accommodated in Bantry Bay and is the first of 22 liners due to visit in 2024. The arrival of over 15,000 cruise ship passengers and crew in 2024 is expected to boost trade and tourism in the local area.
Picture: Michael O’Sullivan /OSM PHOTO
Speaking about the cruise season ahead, Michael Murphy, Assistant Harbour Master at the Port of Bantry stated, “We are delighted to welcome 22 cruise liners to Bantry Bay Port this year. We know that they will have a positive impact on local trade and tourism and hope all passengers and crew enjoy all that this part of the country has to offer. Seeing this figure jump from nine cruises in 2023 is incredible and shows how much of a popular destination the Port has become. We have a very busy season ahead of us and we look forward to welcoming so many passengers and crew from all over the world to the Port.”
Conor Mowlds, Chairperson of Cruise Ireland and Chief Commercial Officer at the Port of Cork Company, of which Bantry Bay Port is a subsidiary, stated, “We are set to welcome 125 cruise ships to Cork this year and are delighted to have 22 of those stopping off in Bantry Bay Port, allowing passengers and crew to discover even more of Cork during their stay. The Port of Cork and Bantry Bay Port have been working collaboratively to increase cruise calls and opportunities for the county and we look forward to seeing the positive impact this has on the local economy, trade and tourism sectors.”
Setting sail from Portsmouth, the Spirit of Discovery will spend one night anchored off Whiddy Island before heading for Cobh and returning again to Portsmouth completing its ‘Spring in Southern Ireland’ round-trip. To find out more about Bantry Bay Port Company and to view the upcoming cruise schedule please visit www.bantrybayport.com
About Bantry Bay Port Company
Bantry Bay Port is the largest long marine inlet in south-west Ireland. It is approximately 35 km long, running in a south-west to north-easterly direction. Bere Island, situated on the north shore adjacent to CastletownBere, and Whiddy Island lying near the head of the bay on the southern shore are the two largest islands in the bay. The Port has recently invested €8.5 million in its marine strategy to aid both existing marine users and new marina facilities.
Bantry Bay Port Company is a subsidiary of the Port of Cork Company.
About Port of Cork Company
The Port of Cork is the world’s second-largest natural harbour and a key international trade gateway. It is the key seaport in the south of Ireland and is one of the three Ports of National Significance (Tier 1) as designated by National Ports Policy.
The National Ports Policy mandates Tier 1 Ports to lead the response in meeting Ireland’s future port capacity requirements. In this capacity, the port is also central to the national economic growth given that national ports handle approximately 90% of all imported and exported tonnage in Ireland.
As a multi-model port it is only one of two ports in Ireland to service all six shipping modes – lift on/ lift off, roll-on/ roll-off, liquid bulk, dry bulk, break bulk and cruise.
The Port of Cork Company (PoCC) is a commercial semi-state company responsible for the broad range of commercial running of Cork harbour as well as the navigation and berthage in the port.
In 2022, the Ports of Cork and Bantry reported a total consolidated traffic throughput of 10.2 million tonnes. The PoCC’s direct workforce is 170 staff, however, it supports thousands of jobs through indirect employment through warehouses, hauliers and shipping agents.
PoCC is a hugely important catalyst for trade and employment, offering direct connectivity to a global supply chain, particularly for FDI. 35 of its top customers are from industries such as Med-Tec, Pharma, IT, chemical and Agri-Food accounting for €145billion of manufacturing and supporting over 45,000 jobs directly in the southwest region.