Following a voyage from Belfast Lough, The Ambience sailed past Roches Point this morning, becoming the first cruise line visitor to Cork Harbour of 2023.
Anticipating a strong year, the Port of Cork has seen bookings return to pre-pandemic levels, with 113 vessels expected in 2023, compared to 100 vessels in 2019.
The 245-metre Ambience docked quayside in Cobh Cruise Terminal at 12:00 pm and departed at 19:00 hours for Cherbourg in France.
The video below is by Mary Malone.
Speaking about the 2023 Cruise Schedule, Conor Mowlds, Chief Commercial Officer at the Port of Cork Company stated, “Last year, we were delighted to welcome over 115,000 passengers on 90 cruise ships to Cork following a two-year pause as a result of the pandemic. Now, we look forward to what is expected to be a thriving year in the cruise liner industry as bookings return to pre-pandemic levels, which will positively impact the local region’s tourism and trade. All of us here at the Port of Cork look forward to welcoming the cruise liners, passengers and crew in the coming months.”
The Ambience cruise-call to the south coast of Ireland chimes with other early bird arrivals around the coast, such as the 227-metre long Norwegian flagged Viking Venus anchored at Dun Laoghaire Harbour, on the east coast on April 5th, as Afloat reported here.
