Cruising into Dublin at 333m in length!
AN imposing shadow will be cast over Dublin Port this morning when one of the world’s largest cruise ships docks.
The MSC Splendida – the 11th longest cruise liner in the world – will bring more than 3,000 tourists with it.
Measuring 333 metres, equivalent to more than twice the length of a GAA pitch, it is the longest ship ever to dock in Dublin.
It carries 1,370 crew members and 3,247 passengers, primarily from mainland Europe. And it is the largest of the 83 cruise ships set to stop at Dublin this year.
Facilities on the liner include a VIP section with 24-hour butler service, a dozen bars and lounges, spa and Turkish baths, four swimming pools and a Formula 1 simulator. MSC Splendida started its journey at Hamburg, Germany, before docking at Invergordon on mainland Scotland, before sailing to Kirkwall in Scotland’s Orkney Islands and then Dublin.
After visiting the capital, the cruise ship sails back to Greenock in Scotland, before making its way to Ringaskiddy, Cork, then Southampton and back to Hamburg. The length of the entire trip lasts 11 days and prices start from €1,513.
Dublin Port Company chief executive Éamonn O’Reilly s ai d: ‘2015 i s an extraordinary year for our cruise business which we have been patiently building over the past decade.
‘We started this year with 82 cruise ships booked to call to Dublin Port with a further 18 ships longer than we normally handle going to anchor in the bay.
‘We are delighted that the MSC Splendida has now opted to call into Dublin Port. The cruise market is very dynamic and fast-changing. We handled 86 ships last year and welcomed 141,000 visitors. We now expect that we will exceed these figures this year.’
There are plans to redevelop Dublin Port, costing in the region of €200million, to allow the port to accommodate longer vessels.