It was a busy scene in Dun Laoghaire Harbour as three excursion vessels, including from Howth, were chartered during Thursday’s cruise ship anchorage of the 85,500 gross tonnage Carnival Legend, writes Jehan Ashmore.
Of the three tasked with tendering to the 2,214 passenger ship that arrived overnight from Liverpool, they involved Dublin Bay Cruises 100 seat capacity St. Bridget. The 26m vessel, fresh from an annual overhaul earlier this year, resumed this season’s cruises, connecting Dun Laoghaire, the capital, and Howth Harbour along with offering Killiney Bay / round Dalkey Island cruises.
Also from this harbour is where Howth Cliff Cruises, the peninsula cliff / Baily Lighthouse trips also run to and around Ireland's Eye, provided two boats to tender the cruise ship. This saw the 43-passenger Dolphin Discovery, which was only added in recent months to their fleet, share duties with the 63-passenger Dun Aengus, as above seen departing Dun Laoghaire’s St. Michael’s Wharf cruise pontoon. A second such facility is located at the neighbouring Carlisle Pier.
Combined, the three boats' capacity was just over 200 cruise-goers at a time when transferring to and from the almost 300m long Carnival Cruises ship anchored offshore of the harbour’s East Pier.
The chartering of the excursion boats, enabled Carnival Cruises to avoid any delays and to give more certainty, as the ship's captains prefer to have a shore-based tender operation in addition to its own ship tenders, for reasons Afloat shall further outline. Of the cruise ship's tenders, around 5 to 6, they were escorted by several harbour-based RIBs for increased guidance to the cruise pontoon.
This was the third call of Carnival Legend, having previously visited in late June and earlier this month, though a fourth and final visit of the season in Dun Laoghaire is scheduled next month.
In the meantime, Carnival Legend, with its crew of more than 900, continued its cruise with an arrival on Friday morning to Cobh, Cork Harbour. The cruise ship is scheduled to depart in the evening, at 1900hrs and its next port of call is in the UK, at the Port of Dover.