Wednesday, January 22, 2025 - 12:04 by ce-press
Following on from a busy 2024 cruise season which also included a new rebrand for Cruise Ireland (which will be showcased at Seatrade Global in 2025), a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing between Cruise Ireland and Cruise Britain at Seatrade Global in Miami last April, mid-November 2024 saw a strong Cruise Ireland contingent take off across the Atlantic to commence a hectic week of very fruitful courtesy calls to its top US clients.
Niamh McCarthy, managing director, Excursions Ireland, says: “As a result of this MoU, 2024 saw great growth in the bonds between both organisations with a unanimous feeling that working harder and more efficiently together will bring better results and nothing but positivity for the future of our joined up cruising region. Part of this US trip was to enlighten our clients on how we, Cruise Ireland, are growing as an organisation and how we collectively, alongside Cruise Britain, are nurturing this growth to take into the future with us.”
The trip took in visits to Windstar Cruises and Holland America group in Seattle and Princess Cruises in Santa Clarita. “Though it was a quick visit we got to see one of our top visiting lines to the island of Ireland and gained some background insights into how they market Ireland and how we are ranked,” says McCarthy.
A dinner with Seabourn and Carnival Corp & plc’s Crystal Morgan and Chantelle Foran, as well as Bruce Krumrine, was a time to reminisce about times gone but to speak excitedly about the opportunities that lie ahead.
Flying east to Miami for meetings with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, Carnival Corp & plc’s Caroline Bourke, director of Carnival Adventures and shore excursions operations & revenue at Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean Cruises as well as Celebrity Cruises in Miami. “A special thank you and mention was made in relation to the recent world cruise event held in Cork on the Ultimate World Cruise on Serenade of the Seas. It was a true privilege to be chosen as the port/country to host such a prestigious event,” comments McCarthy.
Azamara and Four Seasons were also on the agenda and finally Virgin in Fort Lauderdale. “The latter will make its inaugural calls to Ireland in 2025 so lots of exciting plans and ideas were discussed.”
Whilst those on the trip (see photo) were representing their own companies, the strength and huge cooperation between all members of Cruise Ireland was evident and the cohesion was commented on by many lines, says Gary Hall, commercial executive, Belfast Harbour.
“Cruise Ireland is in a very good place right now and the opportunities and eagerness to engage and grow together is better than ever. Ireland and her many ports are showing very strong booking numbers with a huge desire for Ireland as a destination constantly being fed back to us,” states Conor Mowlds, chair, CI. Adding: “This includes all opportunities that we can work on alongside our esteemed colleagues across the Irish sea in Cruise Britain. Collectively, it is believed that we are in a great shape to grow this important sector jointly in our exciting British Isles region.”
LtoR: Colin McClements, commercial manager, Belfast Harbour; Ruth Flynn, leisure trade manager, Visit Belfast; Niamh McCarthy, managing director, Excursions Ireland; Kelly Hubbard, director of product development, Windstar Cruises; Kerrie Wade, operations manager, Excursions Ireland; Gary Hall, commercial executive, Belfast Harbour; Conor Mowlds, chief commercial officer, Port of Cork & chair, Cruise Ireland and David Browne, business development manager, Port of Cork (c) Cruise Ireland