Belfast welcomes the 1000th cruise ship to the city

MS Queen Elizabeth became the 1000th cruise ship to call at Belfast on Thursday morning as part of the Cruise Belfast partnership between Belfast harbour and Visit Belfast.

The ship is the 66th to dock in the city this year.

The first cruise ship to arrive in Belfast was the Berlin in 1996 and since then the boats have brought 1.7 million visitors to the capital.

“We were thrilled to welcome the MS Queen Elizabeth and her passengers and crew to Belfast this morning as the 1,000th ship to come to Belfast,” said Gerry Lennon, Chief Executive of Visit Belfast.

“This cruise season has been very different to seasons past, but it is testament to the reputation Belfast now has as a cruise destination that the city has been able to safely resume welcoming cruise visitors this year and we are able to celebrate this milestone today.

“Through close partnership working and the commitment of the tourism industry, Belfast has built a reputation as a safe, welcoming and exciting cruise destination, and as we look to rebuild the city region’s visitor economy, cruise tourism will continue to play an important role.”