#USNavy - Dublin Port is host to a French 'Tripartite ' minehunter, a Dutch Navy amphibious landing platform dock ship and a fuel replenishment tanker, while in Cork Harbour, a United States Navy guided missile cruiser docked at Cobh this lunchtime today.

The USS Letye Gulf (CG 55) is a Ticonderoga class AEGIS Guided Missile Cruiser home-ported in Norfolk VA. She is to remain alongside the cruiseliner berth to next Friday and her visit is in advance of the first cruise caller this season with the Legend of the Seas due later this month.

In 2012, the 173m vessel successfully completed an 11 month Extended Selected Restricted Availability (ESRA) and Cruiser Modernization which included significant Combat Systems upgrades and extensive hull, tank and superstructure work.

Among her more recent roles, she was deployed in 2011 with the Enterprise Carrier Strike Group (CSG 12), Leyte Gulf supported anti-piracy operations and counter narcotic operations off the coast of Somalia.

In the previous year USS Leyte Gulf also supported the missile strikes against Lybia.

She too was involved with the Somali pirate hijacking of the motor vessel Quest in the Indian Ocean and captured 75 Somali pirates.

#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.

#SydneyWorldCruise – Tomorrow is Australia Day and the Port of Cork will welcome up to 1500 from Down Under as well as 400 Kiwis to Cobh as part of their Sydney to Sydney World Cruise on board Princess Cruises Sea Princess.

As the passengers step ashore from the 77,499 tonnes vessel's maiden voyage to Cobh, they are sure to receive a very warm Irish welcome as Cobh Tourism presents Australia Day with the weather forecast to match.

In the morning when Sea Princess arrives there will be a formal port welcome on board to the Captain attended by Port Management and the Australian Ambassador to Ireland Dr. Ruth Adler.

Following this, there will be a civic welcome ashore with the Captain and Cruise Director of Sea Princess and the Australian Ambassador at 11.30 am in Cobh Heritage Centre, adjacent to the quayside.

With such a rich and poignant history of emigration from the Port of Cork, particularly from Cobh (formerly Queenstown) to Australia, this "special Irish Australia Day" will not only mark the visit of this spectacular cruise liner but will also remind visitors of the thousands who left or were deported from Ireland bound for a life down under. With this in mind, a "Blessing of the Bonnets" ceremony will take place in memory of all convict women transported from Ireland to Australia.

Captain Michael McCarthy, Commercial Manager Port of Cork has for some time being working with Princess Cruises to secure the call of Sea Princess on her world cruise. With so many Australian roots here, the Port of Cork was thrilled when they received confirmation that the World schedule included Cobh.

Of the 60 cruise liners calling to the Port of Cork in 2013, 11 vessels carry the very distinctive brand of Princess Cruises and they alone will bring over 30,000 visitors to Cork Harbour and its regional attractions. In addition, August is set to be one of the busiest months on record for the port, with 21 liners calling.

With so much happening in Cobh on Sunday, cruise passengers and visitors to Cobh are set to have a fantastic day with local traditional music and dance, fascinating Australian themed shop window displays, sizzling barbecues, food stalls and local arts and crafts stalls on display.

A performance by the Band 1 Southern Brigade will take place at 2.30 pm in the town park and will be followed by more local entertainers. Captain McCarthy stated that "the tremendous work undertaken by Cobh Tourism and the team spirit of all organisations and Councils working together has put Cobh and the entire Cork region a "must see destination" on the cruise companies calendar.

The Cobh Confraternity Brass and Reed Band will play on the quayside as the Sea Princess sails to continue its 104 night odyssey around the World.

Will the traditional "Anchors Aweigh" be replaced by "Tie Me Kangaroo down Sport" as 2000 happy passengers are given a traditional Cobh farewell with white handkerchiefs and Australian and Irish flags waving.

#CruiseLiners -Those watching the live coverage of the recent Ocean to City rowing race would of seen the handsome Marina, a 66,000 tonnes cruiseship which had berthed in Cobh, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Only launched in 2011, Oceania Cruises 1,250 passenger capacity vessel presented a fine sight against the backdrop of Cobh in which the photograph depicts the same scene taken by our colleague, Bob Bateman, in Cork Harbour.

Marina has designer touches everywhere, from the magnificent Lalique Grand Staircase and stunning Owner's Suites furnished in Ralph Lauren Home which showcases the finest residential design and furnishings.

Of the 15 decks, there are 11 decks exclusively for guests. Among the many facilities there is an outdoor movie screen, hot tubs and basketball court and on the top deck an outdoor heated swimming pool.

As for accommodation, there are 18 inside cabins, 611 outside cabins, 591 cabins & suites with verandas and 147 suites.

Should you have missed the Marshal Islands registered cruiseship she is scheduled to visit Cork Harbour on 8 August, arriving early at Ringaskiddy Deepwater berth. Despite not berthing at Cobh, Marina will however still have to pass Cobh in both directions noting her 16.00hrs departure and where the promenade and ramparts of the town afford excellent vantage points.

In the meantime there's plenty of cruiseship callers in the preceding month, as Cork harbour is to welcome some notable cruise callers among them Princess Cruises giant Caribbean Princess (3,500 passengers) due on 1 July.

#NORWAY CRUISES – Irish cruise passengers will for the first time be able to travel directly from Ireland on a major cruiseship, courtesy of deal between a travel agency and Royal Caribbean International Line.

Spaces have been reserved for 200 Irish passengers on the cruise line's 4,375 passenger giant Independence of the Seas (154,407 tonnes), which will dock in Cobh, Co Cork, next year. She is to offer 12-day cruises of the Norwegian fjords, starting on June 3 and September 9.

From €1,699 per person, based on two people sharing, passengers will get all meals and entertainment on board and return flights from Southampton to either Cork or Dublin. For more on this story the Irish Examiner has a report.

#PORT OF CORK – The Cork Business Association recently awarded the Cork of Port Company as the 'Large Company of the Year for the 2nd Quarter 2012'.

The port is home to Irelands only dedicated cruise berth in Cobh, which during this year's season will see a total of 60 cruiseships visiting the harbour between April and November. In that timeframe more than 100,000 passengers and crew are to call to the region. According to Failte Ireland, the average spend per in-transit passenger approximately €73 per day which brings positive impacts for business in Cork.

Commenting on the award Brendan Keating CEO of the port said "We as a port are delighted to be receiving this award today from Cork Business Association. 2012 is proving to be another busy year for the cruise business in Cork, with 60 liners calling, of which three are operating part turnaround calls and ten liners are maiden visits to the port. We are continuing to work to grow our business and we have ambitious plans to increase to 80 cruise calls a season over the next five years".

He continued "While the port puts in a huge effort to bring the liners to Cork the business would not work without the relationship and continued joint efforts of the tour operators, ship-agents, bus companies, Irish Rail and local tourism groups".

Keating also emphasised the importance of the regions tourist attractions on offer, which helped to make the cruise business what it is today.

As of this week Afloat.ie adds that Hebridean Island Cruises 50 passenger Hebridean Princess is scheduled to call to Cobh overnight on Wednesday. At the start of next weekend sees Silverseas Cruises 296 passenger Silver Cloud call on Friday. Two days later the giant 3,592 passenger capacity Caribbean Princess is also to make an apperance berthing alongide the town's deepwater quay. For a list of cruise caller click HERE.

#CUNARDER REVISIT – Since her launch in 2010, Cunard Line's newest cruiseship the 90,901 tonnes Queen Elizabeth has only called to Dublin Port once and that was last year. She was then on her maiden 'Irish' port of call and the 2068 passenger vessel is to return on Saturday, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Joining her on the schedule of visiting cruiseships this August, which not surprisingly is the busiest period of the high-season, will be Holland America Line's Maasdam. She is to arrive only an hour later that morning.

The month is scheduled to see 28 cruise callers (list) in total, the first caller having already arrived yesterday with the Hebridean Princess staying overnight in the port.

Following the Cunarder's call she will her head overnight bound for Cobh Cruise Terminal, where the Italian built vessel also made an inaugural port of call (list) in 2011.

#SIGNATURE CRUISESHIP – Cruiseship Mein Schiff 2 made her statement with a strikingly refreshing bold livery scheme as she swept across Dublin Bay last evening. Rather than the all too common all-white painted cruiseships, her looks also cut a dash today while visiting Cobh, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Her name is repeated in huge joined-up writing and accompanied by electric-blue coloured words emblazoned across the 262m long 956 passenger capacity vessel. The dynamic livery scheme reaches above the lifeboat deck, leaving the rest of the accommodation superstructure typically painted in white and her German operator, TUI who are represented by a red symbol positioned on the funnel casing.

Mein Schiff 2 measures 77,302 tonnes and the Century-class ship was commissioned for Celebrity Cruises as the Mercury in 1997 from the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg.

This evening she sets sail for the Channel Islands to anchor offshore of St. Peter Port, the capital of Guernsey.

#CRUISE LINERS – The newest addition to the Saga Cruises fleet Saga Sapphire (1981/37,301gt) is to make her debut to Dublin Port tomorrow, having made her inaugural Irish port of call to Cobh today, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Saga Sapphire previously the Bleu de France and launched as Europa for Hapag Lloyd, underwent a major refit taking several months in the Sicilian port of Palermo at the Fincantieri shipyard.

She arrived into her homeport of Southampton in preparation for her new owners 'maiden' cruise in late March which was delayed by several days. The delay in redelivering the 706-passenger cruiseship was due to strike action over redundancies at the shipyard.

Tomorrow she is due to berth in the capital port at Ocean Pier under the command of Captain Philip Rentell who has worked with the UK based operator when he joined the company in 2005 as master on their Saga Rose.

#COBH CRUISE CALL – The sleek profile of Seabourn Sojourn, the cruiseship whose godmother is Twiggy, the English fashion icon and actress, called at Cobh Cruise Terminal this morning, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The ultra-luxurious vessel is the second of a pair of 32,000 tonnes sisters built for Seabourn Cruises by Italian shipyard T. Marrioti in Genoa. She was launched into the Ligurian Sea in 2010 and unusually for a cruiseship she has twin funnels that skilfully merge into the superstructure's appearance.

In the same year the 197m vessel made a promotional visit to London where she was christened by Twiggy at a ceremony held on the Thames.

Seabourn Cruises operate in the top end of the cruise market and have won prestigious travel awards over the years. Likewise to competitor Silverseas Cruise whose Silver Whisper is visiting Killybegs today having made a port of call to Foynes yesterday.

The 450 guest capacity Seabourn Sejourn is also in the same league with her rivals in that she only has suites in terms of accommodation type, where within there is a choice of six categories.

She has 225 ocean view suites measuring 295 to 1,682 sq ft, 90% with private verandas. This includes five Owner's Suites measuring up to 1,062 sq ft (including the veranda) and four two-bedroom Grand Suites with up to 1,682 sq ft of private living space.

In addition there are 22 Penthouse Suites on the uppermost decks, each featuring up to 534 sq ft feet of space. To browse a virtual tour of these very spacious suites on Deck 11 click HERE.

As for facilities she sports the largest spa on any ultra-luxury ship, at 11,400 sq ft encompassing an indoor and outdoor space laid out over two decks. There are also six whirlpools and two swimming pools, including the pool patio, with a pair of large whirlpool spas and a "beach" style pool, a casual patio grill and the patio bar.

On the sun deck above sits Seabourn's popular open-air Sky Bar located high atop on deck 11 is a Sun Terrace with 36 tiered double sun beds. Just aft of that is The Retreat, with shuffleboard courts and a nine-hole putting green.

The panoramic Observation Bar on Deck 10 offers 270 degree forward views over the sea. There is the Club for dancing and the larger Grand Salon is also used for dancing as well as lectures, production vocal shows, cabaret performances and classical recitals.

Other facilities can be viewed through the virtual tour HERE