News
Galway on a wave of success
The arrival of the Norwegian-owned expedition ship MS Fram with 300-plus passengers in Galway on Wednesday kicked off the start of what is set to be the busiest cruise season in recent times for the city.
Over 9,000 passengers and crew will descend on Galway this Summer, adding a welcome boost to the economy.
The Fram is typically more accustomed to cruising deeper into the Arctic and Antarctic circles than navigating the more temperate climate of Galway.
The city has firmly secured its place as a ‘must-see’ destination for the world’s largest cruise companies in recent years, with the numbers of cruise ship passengers docking having quintupled since 2006.
“The Fram is the first of eight cruise ships in 2014 which is the largest number of ships in recent years, culminating on the August 27 with the arrival of the 6-star cruise ship Crystal Symphony”, said Captain Brian Sheridan, Galway Harbour Company Harbourmaster.
Crystal Symphony, which has been voted the world’s best cruise ship, is more than 20% larger than cruise liner The World which docked in Galway Bay last summer.
Run by Crystal Cruises, the Crystal Symphony can accommodate 922 passengers, over 500 crew, and has a total length of 238 meters.
Plans for a massive redevelopment of Galway harbour will allow for larger deep-drafted cruise ships to dock alongside the quays instead of anchoring .
For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.