#Cruiseliners - Killybegs Information Centre has confirmation through Sinbad Marine Services that three visits to the port in 2015 have been scheduled by the prestigious brand P&O/Carnival Lines.
The cruiseships to visit Killybegs under the P&O Cruises flag will be the largest passenger ships so far to use the port. Among the brands of Carnival Group are famous lines such as Cunard, Princess Cruises and Holland America Line.
P&O's Adonia is due in port on June 17 and will return for a second visit on July 21. A second P&O Cruises fleet-member Oriana, which is twice the size, is due to berth on June 26.
The calls by P&O brings to a total of eight callers confirmed for 2015, and passenger figures visiting Killybegs next year is greater than last year's season, itself a record.
The 30,000 tonnes Adonia, with a length of 180.45 m (592 ft) is smaller by comparison to the 69,000 tonnes Oriana with a length of 260.00 m (853.02 ft).
Adonia has a capacity for more than 800 passengers while Oriana has a maximum capacity of more than 1,900 passengers with a crew of just under 800 (794).
Anne Dorrian of the Killybegs Information Centre said "This is great news and we hope it will lead to even bigger vessels visiting Killybegs in the future".
"The Adonia is a pathfinder ship, exploring ports which the larger ships of today had not previously considered. Hopefully, her visit will pave the way for some of the most splendid ships in the Carnival fleet to come to beautiful County Donegal."
She added "Between 2009 and 2014, there have been 52 visits by cruise ships to Killybegs with over 22,000 passengers and more than 6,000 crew. In 2015, the eight ships confirmed will bring an estimated 6,300 passengers to the town.
Carnival Cruise Lines is a British-American owned company, based in Florida and the brand is one of ten forming Carnival Corporation & plc.
The line has the largest fleet in the group, with 24 vessels accounting for more than 21% of the worldwide market share.
