Dublin Port Company recently welcomed the millionth cruise ship passenger to dock and visit the popular Irish capital in the last 20 years.
The landmark figure was reached for the port when on September 27, the Carnival Legend docked at Dublin and became the 100th and final cruise ship to berth at the port in 2013.
The honour of millionth passenger went to Diane Taylor from Newfoundland, Canada who, accompanied by her husband Doug, was formally greeted upon arrival ashore by a fanfare provided by Dublin’s Lord Mayor Oisin Quinn, Chairman of Dublin Port Company Lucy McCaffrey and Chairman of the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation, Paul Carty.
Chairman McCaffrey presented Mrs Taylor with a bouquet of flowers and a personalised VIP trip for her and her husband around Dublin in a chauffeur-driven limousine and she was also presented with €1,000 to spend during her visit to the city.
On the day, Lord Mayor Quinn commented: “The arrival of Dublin’s millionth cruise visitor today represents a significant tourism milestone for the city. Today, Dublin has become the cruise capital of Ireland. I would like to acknowledge the significant time and effort Dublin Port Company has invested to build this trade from nothing to one, which generates a significant multimillion euro boost to the city year-on-year. This year alone, it is estimated that Dublin Port’s cruise liner business will contribute €50m to Dublin City businesses.”
The historic arrival marked the end of a record cruise season for the Dublin Port and the number of passengers visiting has tripled within a decade.
The 963ft Carnival Legend is one of the lines Spirit Class vessels and caters for 2124 passengers, operating cruises to the Caribbean, Panama Canal and the Tahiti and Fiji Islands.
By Simon Brotherton
Google
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