#cruiselinersdublin – Dublin Port Company and Dublin City Council will jointly host the Cruise Europe Conference in Dublin in 2016. The three day event attracts over 200 delegates from leading cruise destinations throughout Europe (including the Mediterranean, Spain and Portugal, the Baltic region and Northern Europe), from all the major cruise lines and service suppliers to the cruise industry worldwide. This is the first time that the event will take place in Dublin, providing a high profile opportunity to showcase the city as a leading cruise tourism destination.
Dublin is now considered a marquee destination for cruise lines and a popular call for passengers on cruise ship itineraries. The importance of cruise tourism was recognised in Dublin City Council's Cruise Tourism Urban Regeneration Local Action Plan published in June 2011 and subsequently in Dublin Port Company's Masterplan 2012 to 2040 published in February 2012.
Based on this, Dublin Port Company has developed the Alexandra Basin Redevelopment Project which is intended to transform the port to allow larger ships of all types, including the world's largest cruise ships, to routinely call to Dublin Port. The Port recently showed off these plans at the Miami cruise exhibition.
In the case of cruise ships, they will berth upriver at the East Link Bridge and ships greater than 300m in length will be able to turn in the expanded Alexandra Basin West. The project, once complete, will mean that Dublin Port will be able to handle the world's top ten largest cruise liners, including the 360m long Allure of the Seas.
