#CruiseLiners – German cruise operator, Passet Kreuzfahrten's Delphin (16,214grt) is visiting Dublin Port today, the small former Soviet cruiseship is berthed just short of the East-Link Toll Lift bridge, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The cruise set off from Oban and terminates in Dover, with interim ports of call among them to Belfast, Douglas, Cobh (tomorrow) and Torquay in England's West Country.

Appearance wise, the near 500-passenger capacity Delphin has an attractive and well proportioned profile and which reflects moreso of ferry design as explained below.

She was the leadship of the Belorussiya class series built by Wärtsilä Turku Shipyard, Finland during 1975–1976 for the Black Sea Shipping Company of the Soviet Union.

Unusually, for a cruiseship she was fitted with a stern-vehicle door where her 'garage' could accommodate more than 250 cars. The stern-vehicle ramp is clearly evident in this photograph of the Byelorussiya as she was named during her era of Russian ownership.

It is somewhat apt that the vessel is moored at this berth in Dublin Port, as the North Wall Extension is also equipped with a linkspan vehicle ramp used by P&O Ferries Liverpool route vessels.

#TallCruiseships – Anchored less than a nautical mile offshore of Portrush today is the impressive Wind Surf, which has five 50m/164ft high masts towering above the sea, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The Windstar Cruises vessel with a 312 guest capacity is calling to the small Antrim harbour by tender craft to see the main visitor attraction of the Giant's Causeway.

The call of the Bahamas flagged cruiseship to the north is part of a 7-day Gaelic Explorers cruise with visits to Peterhead, Invergordon, Kirkwall, Portree and Isle of Man.

Cruise highlights include Edinburgh Castle, where the cruiseship departed from nearby Leith followed by a call to Orkney to sample the customary famous whiskey distilleries, and the 5,000-year-old Ring of Brodgar, rivaling England's Stonehenge.

Wind Surf is to return to Dun Laoghaire Harbour this Saturday, having made her maiden port of call to the harbour in July.

On that occasion the call involved a 'turnaround' cruise while berthing alongside the Carlisle Pier, which provides easy observation from the East Pier.

The French built 14,745 tonnes vessel launched as Club Med 1 and she has a self-unfurling computer-operated system from the masts that controls seven triangular sails totalling 2,600sq.m/26,881sq.feet

She has a length of 162m /535ft at waterline though if measured to include the bowsprit the overall dimension increases to 187m/617 feet.

Meanwhile, today her sister Club Med 2 docked in Cork's Ringaskiddy Terminal having sailed overnight from Dublin Port (see first visit), where the capital first welcomed the vessel earlier in the season.

Another cruiseship fitted with sailing masts, Sea Cloud II had also toured Irish ports with calls to Dublin, Cork as well as Belfast.

#CorkCruiseCalls – The Port of Cork will be busy tomorrow as three cruiseships capable of carrying a combined total of 4,200 passengers are to visit the natural harbour, writes Jehan Ashmore.

First to make an entrance will be Celebrity Infinity followed by AIDAcara, a recent caller to Dublin Port and making up the trio, Club Med 2, which too called to the capital port today.

AIDAcara is to berth alongside Cobh Cruise Terminal while the other pair are due to dock at the Ringaskiddy Deep Water Berth.

As previously reported, the cruiseship sector is worth more than €40 million annually to the Cork economy.

August is the busiest month for the Port of Cork cruise season and by the end of this month the port will have welcomed 21 cruiseships alone and carrying up to 30,000 passengers.

By the end of the season, more than 60 cruiseships will have visited.

#CruiseLiners - Cruise liner visits are worth more than €40 million annually to the Cork economy, it has emerged.

According to TheCorkNews.ie, the economic boost comes with a 50% in cruise visitor numbers last year, with 88,000 passengers coming to the city on 57 liners.

"Figures from the Port of Cork suggest that cruise liner passengers contribute €40.9 million and 197 full time equivalent jobs to the regional economy." said Jerry Buttimer, Fine Gael TD for Cork South Central.

Buttimer also commented that while the cruise industry "is not a lucrative source of revenue for port companies themselves, it provides considerable benefit for the local and wider regional economy."

By the end of this month alone, the Port of Cork is expected to have welcomed 21 cruise liners carrying up to 30,000 passengers, towards a projected total of more than 60 for the 2013 season.

And expansion of this cruise business west of Cork Harbour is also on the minds of Cork County Council, with Bantry Bay being groomed as a destination for the new generation of luxury ships.

TheCorkNews.ie has more on the story HERE.

#AIDAcruises - AIDAcara (1996/38,000grt) with her bold livery of colourful facial features splashed over the hull, is more easily recognisable to cruise-goers and enthusiasts alike as a fleet member of AIDA Cruises, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The Rostock based operator's 196m long vessel departed Dublin Port last night and is currently spending a port of call in Liverpool today.

Finnish-built AIDAcara is one of 9 ships of Aida Cruises fleet which began operations in 1994. The company employ almost 7,000 staff from 25 nations and where 6,000 work onboard and 900 are shored-based personnel.

In 2012, the company's ships in total carried more than 632,000 passengers.

The majority of the fleet (see the list) are of the 'Diva' class series which number seven vessels. Newbuilds have been ordered  and by 2016 the fleet is to increase to 12 vessels.

#StretchedShip - Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Braemar docked in Dublin Port for an overnight visit having departed Dover, the vessel which was stretched five years ago presents a smart sleek profile, writes Jehan Ashmore.

On completion of the mid-section, this led to the cruiseships 19,089 gross tonnage increase to 24,344. The lengthening allowed for additional cabins totalling 485 and this equates to a standard occupancy of 929 passengers. The process also involved installing more lounge space and swimming pools.

After the stretching, this has given the vessel launched in 1993 as Crown Dynasty, a rather distinct profile accentuated by her funnel that is positioned well-aft. This is particularly apparent with this amidships photograph of the cruiseship, where you can scroll and click over each deck for further information about her facilities.

At the stern are five-tiered decks (see introduction of video), which give passengers another vantage space to view the scenery, take in the sea air and sun-bath. These sun decks are more akin to the liner era and as such this feature is increasingly lacking on most modern larger cruiseships.

#CruiseCallerTrio-Dublin Port was busy during dawn this morning as three cruiseships docked within a couple of hours, they are the Europa, Prinsendam and Ocean Princess, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Hapag-Lloyd's 199m Bahamas-flagged Europa (1999/28,890grt) arrived from Gromarty and she is moored alongside the North Wall Extension (P&O Terminal) next to the East-Link toll-lift bridge.

The five-star rated 408-passenger vessel has a forward facing web-cam overlooking her bow, noting directly ahead is P&O Ferries Liverpool route ro-pax Norbay, unless viewed later!... as she had departed this morning.

Of the remaining pair of cruiseships, the nearest visible is Princess Cruises 179m Bermuda-flagged Ocean Princess (1999/30,277grt) which is docked in Alexandra Basin (West) alongside Ocean Pier, at berth No. 33. She arrived from Waterford and is originally the R4, one of an octet of vessels built for Renaissance Cruises, with a 680 passenger capacity.

To the right of Ocean Princess can be seen the 'merging' illusion of the upper decks that belong to Holland America Line's 204m Dutch-flagged Prinsendam (1988/38,848grt). The smallest vessel of the HAL fleet, Princendam with almost 700 passengers, docked on the other side of Ocean Pier at berth No.37 which is within the adjacent Alexandra Basin (East).

She had sailed from Liverpool and is to continue her cruise to other Irish ports making an anti-clockwise circuit. Among Princendam's ports of call is Foynes, where she is to become un-expectedly the first caller of the season to the Shannon.

As previously reported, Voyages of Discovery's 15,396 tonnes Voyager, which was intended to be the first scheduled cruise caller to the estuary port, did not arise as it transpired that the ship had generator problems. This forced her 9-day Irish cruise to be curtailed in Killybegs during late May.

#QueenElizabeth – Queen Elizabeth's maiden visit off Dun Laoghaire Harbour today presented a wonderful sight, not to mention her impressive and sumptuous art-deco style interiors which pay homage to the legendary 1930's Cunard Ocean Liner RMS Queen Elizabeth, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The 'Vista' class 90,901 tonnes cruiseship, is the newest of the Cunard Line fleet and she was commissioned in 2010 and named by Queen Elizabeth II in Southampton. A portrait of the monarch by Isobel Peachey hangs in the splendid foyer of the Grand Lobby.

Captain C. Wells has command of the vessel with 2,040 guests which is close to her capacity of 2,100 passengers and almost 1,000 crew members. On the cruise of British and Irish ports which set off from Southampton at the end of July, the majority of the guests are from the UK and United States in addition to around 150 Germans who boarded in Hamburg.

Her guests can expect high standards with the history and pedigree of Cunard Line and among the features on Queen Elizabeth are the Grand Lobby with its magnificent mural of her 1930's predecessor. There are  eight restaurants, two theatres, three swimming pools and a games deck, together with a large spa and fitness centre, shopping arcade, libraries, bars, cafés, and a casino.

The library with 7,000 books is the second largest floating library in the world after Queen Mary 2 and there's also an art gallery with paintings by Irish artist Philip Gray. In addition to those who fancy a cigar one can decline to the intimate wood-panelled surroundings of Churchill's Lounge sited high above the seas.

The Queen's Room Photo: Jehan Ashmore

The Grand Lobby Photo: Jehan Ashmore

In essence the cruiseship exudes luxury that respects the golden day era of liners whilst also combining the many wonderful modern day comforts to which cruise-goers also demand.

Queen Elizabeth is due to weigh anchor 21.00hrs this evening and after a day spent at sea her next port of call is St. Peter Port, Guernsey before her return to Southampton

#CunarderCALL – Cunard Line's newest cruiseship, the 90,901 tonnes Queen Elizabeth is to make her maiden call off Dun Laoghaire Harbour tomorrow. She is the second largest ship built for the company after Queen Mary 2 which called earlier this summer, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Queen Elizabeth has 12 passenger decks accommodating 2,068 guests and the 294m vessel first paid a visit to Dublin Bay with a call to Dublin Port in 2011, the same year of her namesake's historic state visit by Queen Elizabeth. A subsequent return call by the cruiseship as previously reported was made this time last year.

Captain C. Wells has command of the 2010 built ship which is currently docked alongside Liverpool Cruise Terminal and is due to arrive in Dublin Bay around 07.30hrs tomorrow morning.

Her visit to Dun Laoghaire is part of a British Isles 12-Day Cruise which set off from Hamburg late last month and terminates in Southampton following an en route call to St. Peter Port, Guernsey.

Cunard Line's third ship, Queen Victoria is a sister and they both are of the same design to P&O Cruises Arcadia which called offshore to Dun Laoghaire almost a month ago. There are external differences particularly along the uppermost decks.

Both companies are subsidiaries of the world's largest cruise shipping group, Carnival Corporation which too operates Holland America Line (HAL) whose medium-sized cruiseship, Eurodam recently visted Dublin Port and as previously reported off Dunmore East.

Eurodam also shares this same Italian built cruiseship design, from the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera, Venice, albeit the most notable difference is the twin funnel stacks.

Additonal information from Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company:

The prestigious Queen Elizabeth cruise liner will dock in Dún Laoghaire Harbour tomorrow, Wednesday, 7th August 2013, from 7am to 6pm.

The ship belongs to the world-famous Cunard Line and is decorated in an art deco style reminiscent of 1930s ocean liners. Dún Laoghaire will be the fifth port of call for the Queen Elizabeth since it set sail from Southampton a week ago on a 10-day cruise of Britain and Ireland.

Speaking ahead of the arrival, CEO of Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company, Gerry Dunne, said: "The iconic Queen Mary 2 visited Dún Laoghaire in May and today we are delighted to welcome her sister ship, the Queen Elizabeth. It is a tremendous boost for the harbour to have a visit from a ship of her calibre."

#CruiseDoubles – As previously reported earlier this week, August will be the Port of Cork's busiest month ever with 21 cruise liners alone scheduled to call, starting with the visit today of the ultra-luxury Sea Cloud and a double call tomorrow, writes Jehan Ashmore.

In total up to 30,000 cruise passengers will step ashore during the month bringing a welcome boost to the local economy. On five days throughout the month, there will be two cruiseships calling on the same day starting with HAL's Veendam and Saga Cruises relative newcomer Saga Sapphire.

Take a tour of Saga Sapphire with behind the scenes clips which includes farmers Ian and Lesley Buxton who have created more than a dozen 'Fusion Flavoured' ice-creams especially for the cruiseship's East to West restaurant.

On the 29 August the Port of Cork is to welcome not just two callers but three cruiseships visiting the harbour with calls to Cobh, Ringaskiddy and also involving an anchorage call off Whitegate.