#HollandAmerica – Dunmore East is to host three Holland America Line (HAL) cruiseships of varying sizes this season which runs until mid-September, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The largest of the trio Eurodam (86,273grt) had visited today with an anchorage call and she is to be followed by a pair of fleetmates next month. The twin funnelled vessel is cruising from Alesund in Norway to Amsterdam with a passenger capacity potential of 2,104 passengers and a crew of 929.

Next to call on 2 August is Veendam (56,982grt) also from Amsterdam and heading for Bergin with her 1,350 passenger capacity and 580 crew. She is named after the capital of the Netherlands's northern peat colonies.

Making the final member of this trio is a call on 14 August by Prinsendam (37,845grt), which is the smallest of HAL's 15-strong cruiseship fleet.

She originally began her career as Royal Viking Line's white hulled Royal Viking Sun, and she is to sail from Reykjavik to Amsterdam with her designed capacity of 766 passengers and 460 crew.

Combined these calls bring a welcome boost to the Waterford estuary region with benefits to key tourist attractions, among them the House of Waterford Crystal.

Across the estuary is the Hook Lighthouse & Heritage Centre which as previously reported is where the Gathering of Lighthouse Keepers is to be held on the Hook Peninsula in September.

#TallCruiseShip – Sea Cloud II returned to Dublin Port today and is clearly visible to motoring commuters using the East-Link Bridge, to where she is berthed nearby, writes Jehan Ashmore.

On her previous visit earlier this month, the 2001 built luxurious Maltese flagged barque had moored alongside Sir John Rogersons Quay, however todays arrival at the North Wall Extension is also where P&O Ferries operate daily services to Liverpool.

Sea Cloud II has a capacity for just 64 guests who have the added experience of cruising under her three masts which give a total sail area of approximately 32,150 sq. feet (3.000 m²). Operated by Sea Cloud Cruises, the 117m cruiseship belongs to a select fleet of vessels which have the added option of sail-assisted power.

Recent examples to Irish waters have been the Wind Surf which visited Dun Laoghaire Harbour and her sister Club Med 2 to Dublin Port. Both vessels have also made calls to other Irish ports before their Dublin Bay arrivals and this applied to Sea Cloud II which last night sailed from Belfast Harbour.

The cruiseship is scheduled to depart Dublin Port around 19.30hrs.

#portofcork – According to the Port of Cork, August is set to be the busiest month ever with 21 cruise liners scheduled to call. Up to 30,000 cruise passengers will step ashore during the month of August bringing a welcome boost to Cork Harbour and the local economy.

It is further good news for the port that also reported this month a boost in performance in 2012 compared to 2011.

During the month of August there will be two cruise liners in port on the same day up to five times, while on one day there will be three cruise liners in port.

Commenting about the month of August Captain Michael McCarthy, Commercial Manager Port of Cork said: "It will be all hands on deck for the month of August as we get set to welcome 21 liners to our Port. Not only does this highlight the Port of Cork as a popular cruise destination, but will also demonstrate our capabilities as a port in managing more than one cruise vessel in port at a time."

He continued: "It's incredibly important that these cruise passengers are given a huge Irish welcome when they arrive. We are delivering in partnership with the cruise lines up to 100,000 cruise passengers and crew yearly and it's really up to the City, County and tourism groups and retailers to ensure they are looked after when they get here. There is a substantial economic spin off for the region which should be capitalised on as in the month of August alone the estimated direct spend into the economy is over €2 million."

In 2013, the Port of Cork is scheduled to handle 62 cruise liners in total. Already the Port is undertaking a targeted commercial and marketing drive to secure cruise bookings for 2014, 2015 and 2016 through direct and indirect promotion of our region and attractions.

Calls for 2014 are looking very positive so far, however Captain McCarthy pointed out: "We must never as a Port or region become complacent with the current cruise business. It's essential everyone works together to ensure the cruise business in Cork continues to thrive."

#CruiseAnchorage - P&O Cruises Oriana anchored this morning off Dun Laoghaire Harbour and marks another visit of the famous company following fleetmate Arcadia which called earlier this month, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Oriana with a capacity for almost 2,000 passengers was completed in 1995 and the Bermuda-flagged 69,840 tonnes cruiseship had sailed overnight through the Irish Sea under the command of Captain D. Pembridge who has charge of the adults-only cruiseship.

The gloriously favourable weather conditions which saw passengers swimming during Arcadia's visit has somewhat diminished, however Oriana still offers a choice of three pools and four whirpool spas.

Guests can also avail of the many on board facilities and after taking an excursion ashore to Dun Laoghaire Harbour or trips to the capital and the neighbouring countryside, an appetite will invariably build-up. One option is The Marco Pierre White Ocean Grill restaurant situated in the sumptuous surroundings of the Curzon Room.

#CostaConcordia - The Irish Times reports that five officers from the ill-fated Costa Concordia have received jail sentences as part of their plea bargains with the court.

Each received a sentence ranging from 18 months to two years and 10 months - but as all sentences under two years in Italy are suspended, none are likely to be imprisoned.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the cruise liner's captain Francesco Schettino is awaiting a decision on his legal team's second plea offer to avoid a lengthy and complicated trial over the shipwreck tragedy, in which 32 people lost their lives.

Schettino, like the others, is charged with multiple counts of manslaughter, and is also accused of causing the loss of his ship - which ran aground in shallow waters off the western Italian coast on 13 January 2012.

#WindSURF – As the five-masted Wind Surf departed Dun Laoghaire Harbour yesterday evening she began setting her sails, in stark contrast to her sister Club Med 2 as previously reported which presented only a forest of masts, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Firstly the foresail was raised as the 162m/535ft Wind Surf approached the harbour mouth and in quick succession the remaining sails where set using a self-unfurling computer-operated system from the masts that each tower 50m/164ft high. There are seven triangular sails totalling 2,600sq.m/26,881sq.feet

On board the 14,745 tonnes former Club Med I where new guests numbering 300 who had embarked in Dun Laoghaire Harbour at the Carlisle Pier. Wind Surf was making a turnaround port of call having arrived in the morning to dis-embark 280 passengers from a cruise starting in Portsmouth. Today the vessel is berthed in Belfast as part of a 7-day Gaelic Explorer cruise.

The awarding winning Wind Surf is the largest vessel in the five-strong Windstar Cruises and she launched in 1998 for then owners Club Med at a shipyard in Le Havre. She has luxurious amenities for 312 guests and with a crew of 191 that operates cruises mostly in the Mediterranean and Caribbean.

#CruiseLiners - Lawyers for the captain of the cruise liner that capsized off the west coast of Italy early last year have requested a plea deal in the trial over his role in the disaster.

According to RTÉ News, Francesco Schettino faces charges of manslaughter and causing the loss of his ship after the Costa Concordia ran around in shallow waters off Isola del Giglio on the night of 13 January 2012.

Some 32 people died in the ensuing disaster, and more than 4,000 passengers and crew - including an Irish couple - were hurriedly evacuated from the vessel.

A lawyer for Schettino, whose trial began on 9 July, told the press that he would offer to plead guilty in exchange for a sentence of three years and five months - following the rejection of a previous offer of three years and four months.

His legal team argue that he was not solely to blame for the disaster, and point to plea deals made by five others officials with liner operator Costa Cruises, which also agreed to pay a €1 million fine to settle criminal charges.

However, the prosecution has blasted Schettino's plea bargain proposal as "absolutely inadequate".

The crew of the Costa Concordia was last year presented with the prestigious Lloyd's Lost Seafarer of the Year award for their "courage and professionalism" in response to the disaster.

#cruiseliner – An award winning, luxury sailing ship will dock in Dún Laoghaire Harbour tomorrow  from 7am to 6pm as Afloat.ie reported earlier. The Wind Surf – a five masted sailing ship – is scheduled to embark 300 guests and disembark 280 guests in Dún Laoghaire ahead of a seven day Gaelic Explorer cruise which includes the Isle of Man, Portrush in Antrim as well as Stromness, Invergordon, Peterhead and Edinburgh in Scotland.

Speaking ahead of the visit, CEO of Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company, Gerry Dunne, said: "Tomorrow, The Wind Surf is using Dún Laoghaire Harbour as an turnaround port which augurs well for our plans to develop the harbour as the key port along the east coast for cruise visits. Turnaround ports often enjoy additional economic benefits as passengers use local services, such as hotels and restaurants, before boarding their cruise. Clearly, the cruise tourism sector has great potential to deliver significant economic benefit to Dún Laoghaire, the Greater Dublin area and the country in general."

Dún Laoghaire Harbour is expecting to handle a record 14 cruise ship calls from cruise line customers including P&O, Cunard and Windstar Cruises.

#TallCruiseShip- One good easily think another tallship visitor has called to Dublin Port, however what makes the majestic 117m Sea Cloud II stand out is not just beauty but that she is a cruiseship and with a mere 64 guests on board the luxury vessel, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The three-masted Sea Cloud II is to remain berthed overnight in the capital tonight, so allowing her guests another day to explore having docked early this morning from Cork Harbour. She is berthed at Sir John Rogersons Quay within the 'Docklands' Quarter of the city.

Despite her appearance, the barque was only built in 2001 and she can set a total sail area of approximately 32,150 sq. feet (3.000 m²), noting to scroll down the page for sail-plan.

Operated by Sea Cloud Cruises the Maltese flagged vessel is berthed between the Samuel Beckett swing-bridge and the East-Link toll-lift bridge. Should you be around including those taking a lunch-break in the neighbouring office- blocks, a closer inspection is worth the stroll along the campshires.

Sea Cloud II is scheduled to depart around teatime tomorrow and she follows exactly a week ago to the departure of the five-masted Club Med II which despite not setting sails still made for a refreshingly different 'cruiseship' sight as she glided out of Dublin Bay.

The final member of this trio of 'sail-assisted' cruiseships visiting our shores Wind Surf is to make an anchorage call off Dunmore East next Tuesday and a call to Dun Laoghaire also next week.

#GatheringCRUISES- On the same day of the eagerly awaited Gathering Cruise which sets off next Thursday (18 July) from Dun Laoghaire Harbour, the Wind Surf a 14,745 tonnes cruiseship sporting five masts and each 50m/164 ft-high is due to berth, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Wind Surf has 7 triangular, self-furling, computer-operated sails with 26,881 square feet (or 2,600 square meters) on a Dacron surface area.

The 7-decked vessel has a guest capacity for 310 who are accommodated in 123 de-luxe ocean-view staterooms and a couple of de-luxe suites situated on the bridge deck.

Originally the Wind Surf was launched as Club Med 1 and her sister as previously reported is the Club Med 2 which recently called to Irish ports for the first time to include Dublin Port.

Operators Windstar Cruises are bringing the 1998 built vessel to Irish waters in what is undertood to be also her inaugural visit to Irish waters and this evening the ship departed Portsmouth bound for Dartmouth.

Following her call to the Devon port, the cruise which is a total of 7-nights (with fares starting from around £2,300 sterling per person), is also to visit Falmouth, the Scilly Isles, Milford Haven and Holyhead.

The Co. Waterford coast will in fact be her first Irish port of call where the 162m/535ft vessel is due to anchor off Dunmore East on 16 July. While on the same day the Sea Cloud II, another luxury cruise tallship rigged with three-masts is to call to Dublin Port following her visit to Cork Harbour which is scheduled to call this Saturday.