By
Laura Hyde |
Foyle Port in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, is to welcome six inaugural cruise calls and nine different cruise brands in 2024, which is also its170th anniversary.
Between May and September, the port is expected to host nine different cruise lines, with first time visits from six ships, including Villa Vie Residences’ Villa Vie Odyssey. The vessel will visit as part of its three-and-a-half-year world cruise, which will depart from Belfast in Northern Ireland on 30 May.
The port will also welcome back at least six ships, including Hebridean Island Cruises’ Hebridean Princess, which is scheduled to make two overnight visits to the city centre berth at Fort George.
The 2024 season follows a record-breaking year in 2023, when the port handled over 16,000 passengers and crew members, and welcomed its largest ship so far, Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Star (pictured). The ship’s sister, Norwegian Dawn, is expected to call at the port in August 2024.
“We are very much looking forward to welcoming back all our returning cruise lines and eagerly await those who are visiting for the first time,” said Bill McCann, harbour master and operations director at Foyle Port. “The port has worked hard in recent years to promote the destination on a global scale with an aim of building cruise tourism to the region.”