#cruiseliners – In this busy month for cruiseships calling to Dublin Port a trio of such ships were welcomed to the capital last week, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Around 20 cruiseships this month remain scheduled to make a call to the Irish capital.

Of the trio, the first cruiseship to arrive midweek at dawn was megayacht Variety Voyager, a Greek-owned cruiseship which made her debut to Dublin earlier this summer.

The Athens based Variety Cruises flagship has made several cruises so far this season that has included visiting two Welsh ferryports. Holyhead in Anglesea for cruisegoers to explore Snowdonia National Park. The other ferryport visited, Fishguard is located along the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.

As usual the diminutive sized Variety Voyager (1,593grt) with capacity for a mere 72 guests docked in Dublin close to the Tom Clarke (East-Link) toll-bridge. The luxury boutique ship had sailed overnight from Castlebay, Barra, one of the Outer Hebrides off west Scotland.

Next to call was Prinsendam (39,051grt) which Afloat recently reported on is a 14-night ‘Scottish & Irish Explorer Cruise’.

The Holland America Line ship was tucked away from public view, having been allocated at berth within Alexandra Basin. To be more precise the location is Alexandra Quay west to where RTE’s Ireland’s Fittest Family series had featured events for the competing families.

Further along from this quay is Ocean Pier where the third cruiseship had called in the form of Balmoral, the flagship of Fred Olsen Lines.

This is the second season that Balmoral (43,537grt) has operated cruises out of the Port of Tyne (Newcastle) on the English north-east coast. The flagship is on an 8-night ‘From the Highlands of Scotland to the Lizard Peninsula’ cruise.

According to Balmoral's advertised schedule, ports of call so far have been to Oban, a sail past of Duart Castle and along the Firth of Lorn. The last port of call was Belfast Harbour.

On completion of last week call to the Irish capital, Balmoral headed to Falmouth and from there to Portland further along the UK south coast.

Concluding the cruise today involved a return to Newcastle.