Shipping & Shipbuilding News - 7 March 2007
About Us - Click here for contacts, enquiries, addresses

Dover Cruise Port is gearing itself up for one of its busiest seasons after a record-breaking 2006.

A total of 136 calls in 2006 was nine per cent more than the previous record set in 2004, whilst the number of passengers passing through the port’s twin terminals was 215,000, 20 per cent more than the previous highest also set in 2004.

“The growth in the port’s cruise business reflects the increasing popularity in ex-UK cruise vacations and we are well positioned to grow with the trend with our two dedicated liner terminals which enjoy good access by sea and road combined with a wealth of landmark tourist sites for shore visits,” comments Kate O’Hara, Head of Commercial and Marketing, Port of Dover.

For 2007 Dover is expecting 135 cruise calls with Fred. Olsen, Saga Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line and Celebrity Cruises home-porting vessels for the summer whilst MSC Cruises will be boosting the number of shore excursion visits to approximately one-third of total calls.

MSC Cruises is a new customer to the port and will be making 10 calls with MSC Lirica, MSC Opera and MSC Rhapsody including six embarkation cruises.

Norwegian Cruise Lines are planning their largest programme of itineraries from Dover with 14 cruises from Norwegian Dream and a further two from Norwegian Gem which will be operating from the port for the first time.

Celebrity Cruises’ Century will be calling for a second year in addition to Constellation which will be summer home-porting at Dover as normal with eight calls.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines will be operating one of its largest ever Dover programmes with a total of 37 cruises with Boudicca, Black Watch and Braemar.

Saga Cruises will also be prominent as normal with Saga Rose and Saga Ruby operating 18 cruises, whilst Regent Seven Seas is increasing its programme to seven with Amadea, Seven Seas Voyager and Alexander von Humboldt.

Meanwhile Dover Cruise Port and Kent Tourism are taking their products to two major cruise industry events in the coming weeks.

Representatives from the Port of Dover and Cruise Connections, the Kent tourism partnership of cruise support services, will be exhibiting and hosting events at the Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention in Miami, followed by the Cruise Lines International Association’s “cruise3sixty” conference and exhibition in Fort Lauderdale.

Kate O’Hara, Head of Commercial and Marketing, Port of Dover, says the Seatrade event, opening on 13 March and running for four days, is the key annual showcase event for the cruise industry with the opportunity to meet representatives of all the cruise lines.

It will be the first time the port and Cruise Connections has attended the “cruise3sixty” event which is expected to attract over 1,000 travel agents at Fort Lauderdale opening on 30 March for three days.

“It is vitally important that everyone in the cruise vacation supply chain knows about the fabulous facilities we have at Dover and the world class landmark tourist sites in the county,” Kate commented.

For further information contact Keith Southey, Public Relations Manager, Port of Dover.