Ireland and UK now selling cruises as a 'package' in USA

Cruise Ireland chair says Anglo-Irish Memorandum of Understanding is making a difference to the industry

Fri, 14 Feb, 2025 - 01:05

Martin Claffey

A partnership agreement between representatives of the Irish and UK cruise industries is proving “transformative” for the sector, the chair of Cruise Ireland Conor Mowlds has said.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by representatives from both Cruise Ireland and Cruise Britain at the Seatrade Global Conference in Miami last April.

More than 100 vessels are expected in Cork this season, worth €20m to the local region. Speaking at a business breakfast held by the Bantry Business Association at the Maritime Hotel on Thursday, Mr Mowlds said 14 cruise ships have added Bantry to their schedule for the 2025 season. The Port of Waterford already has more than 20 cruise ships expected.

Mr Mowlds, who is also Port of Cork chief commercial officer, said the MOU is already showing its worth.

“Signing the MOU with Cruise Britain has been transformative for us, because the American market is our biggest and US cruise lines don't view Ireland, England, Wales, and Scotland as different. They view us as one ‘home destination’,” said Mr Mowlds. “The MOU means that we sell Britain and Ireland as a package, and we're already starting to get good vibes from US cruise lines who want to send ships to cruise around Britain and Ireland. Showing our cooperation to these organisations shows a strength and depth that they really enjoy.

“Previously, we have seen Baltic ports working together, Scandinavian ports working together. Now we're emulating that.”

Cruise Ireland don't believe the Trump administration in the US is a huge concern to the growth of visitor numbers, said Mr Mowlds. “If there were to be any concern for the industry regarding President Trump, it might be in the energy space. We need to see how his position on oil and gas will affect the energy markets. That is something that people are watching.”

Cork has Ireland's only dedicated cruise berth, at Cobh, and has the potential to become a turnaround destination, where passengers and crew are swapped in and out, rather than a stop-off point on an itinerary.

“Strategically, Dublin has moved away from cruise activity, which was a pity, because we are all interlinked. Cork Airport is a great airport but it does not have those transatlantic connections which are available in Dublin. But using Cork as a turnaround destination is something Cork could do in the future, 100%.

“From the Port of Cork’s perspective, we have a plateau on cruise ship numbers at just over that 100 mark. We are going to try and grow that. As a marketing collective, Cruise Ireland is putting a lot more effort, time, and money into promoting the island of Ireland. That is why we have signed the MOU to promote the British Isles as a destination, in particular to the American market. And then we hope to see an increase for the Port of Cork, which would then, by extension, mean an increase for Bantry.”