#GalwayCruiseCalls-Galway Harbour Company is to have one of the busiest cruise seasons in recent years with the Norwegian owned expedition cruise ship Fram, which is to anchor offshore next Wednesday, writes Jehan Ashmore.
Fram is unique within the operations of Hurtigruten, as unlike her fleetmates, the expedition cruiseship does not serve along the Norwegian fjords on the daily service linking coastal communities in the combined role of car-ferry, cruiseship and cargoship.
Instead the forthcoming visitor to Galway is however more accustomed to exclusively 'cruising' deeper into the Arctic and Antarctic circles and also not to navigating to the rather more temperate climate of Galway.
Commenting to Afloat.ie, Captain Brian Sheridan, Galway Harbour Company Harbourmaster said, "the Fram will be the first of 8 cruise ships in 2014 which is the largest number of cruise ships in recent years, culminating on the 27 August with the arrival of the 6 star cruise ship Crystal Symphony".
Holland American Line's Prinsendam is returning to Galway again in 2014 after her call this summer. HAL was a regular caller to Galway in 1939 and when in total 56 calls were made. Prinsendam which is the smallest of the fleet, will however make up for generating a bigger presence when it comes to placing Galway on the global cruise map by another call to the City of the Tribes in 2015.
This call of Prinsendam will form a hat trick visit by the cruiseship to the mid-western seaboard port and that been served by one of the world's oldest cruise lines.
In addition to the constantly changing cruise scene, Thompson Cruises, P&O Cruises and Club Med are all new comers to Galway Harbour in 2014, which adds another significant milestone and boost in confidence to the port and that of the city.
The harbour company has development plans to extend land for a new outer port and asides improving cargo-handling operations will permit larger deep drafted cruiseships to dock alongside quays instead of anchoring offshore.
For further details visit the harbour company's dedicated port extension plans website HERE.