Ireland Cruise Ports
The Republic of Ireland is a stunningly beautiful country that despite been located just across the Irish Sea, it is somewhere that us Brits often never get to visit but the great news is that the country is home to many great seaside town, cities and places of interest that are easy to explore on a cruise right from these very shores.
Ireland is known as the Emerald Isle and it is for a particularly good reason as the rolling hills and open countryside is only often interrupted by small hamlets and idyllic villages.
For those heading to island of Ireland from across the water, there is the chance the visit both the North and South and enjoy both the differences and similarities of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland with both countries also offering lots of familiarities for those from England, Scotland and Wales whilst still offering lots of opportunities to enjoy a different culture and lifestyle that makes for a fascinating short getaway.
There is lots of options for calling into the country as part of a longer cruise either heading across the Atlantic, heading further north to Iceland and/or Greenland or for those heading over the Norway the longer way but the best way to make the most of your trip to the country and to take in as much as possible is to visit on a trip around the British Isles or even on a tour around the island of Ireland.
If you are looking for a great starter cruise or a shorter second cruise that can be enjoyed throughout the year, a cruise to Ireland is a great option especially as there are a number of cruise lines offering a wide range of itineraries from a number of ports around England and Scotland.
Cruises To Ireland
Cruise Holidays To The Republic of Ireland
If you are looking to enjoy a cruise to Ireland, the great news is that there is lots of choice when it comes to all aspects of choosing your holiday including a number of cruise lines offering a choice of itineraries on a wide number of ships to suit any budget.
For those wanting to take in as much of both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland on a cruise, it is perhaps best to choose a British Isles cruise or a smaller cruise ship that offers trips solely around the Island of Ireland.
These cruises allow you to not only visit the big towns and cities in the country but also head into smaller ports to see more rural areas and some of the country’s leading attractions.
For those wanting to experience a visit to Ireland as part of a longer cruise, there are lot’s of options to choose from including cruise itineraries heading to Iceland, Greenland, or Norway and also cruses heading across the Atlantic to North America.
There are also some repositioning cruises that call into the country that allow you to enjoy a few days land based holiday before cruising back to England or Scotland and enjoying a stop or 2 in Ireland with the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik amongst the most popular options for such a cruise.
Ireland Cruise Guide
If you are currently trying to decide on whether a cruise to Ireland is the right choice for you or which ports of call you should visit, our port guides bring you all of the information that you need to make an informed decision and to make the best holiday possible.
If you have already booked a cruise to the country and are researching what there is do in the Irish cruise port son your itinerary, our guides bring you all of the information that you need to make the most of your time ashore.
Popular Ports
Ireland is home to many great ports including those offering access to towns and cities and those located in more rural areas to allow visitors to see the areas that are of interest to them.
Most cruises that spend time in and around the country take in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, so we have included our choice of the top ports from the north and south of the island of Ireland.
The city of Dublin is the capital of the Republic of Ireland and is one of the most popular tourist cities in Northern Europe. The city is the business and cultural centre of Ireland and offers lots of great attractions as well as the chance to enjoy a pint in an actual Irish pub from Ireland’s leading cruise port..
The port of Cobh, is also known as the cruise port for Cork, is one of the largest seaports in the Republic of Ireland and gives easy access to the southern parts of the country although for most visitors it is the chance to visit the city of Cork and its many attractions that is the reason to choose Cobh.
The small port of Killybegs is located in County Donegal, one of the most rural parts of the country, with the scenic bay you dock in giving an insight into the stunning scenery on offer to visitors.
Waterford is a small port capable of hosting smaller explorer style cruise ships that allow you to visit the south-west of Ireland and enjoy the medieval city of Wexford.
Ringaskiddy is a smaller port located just outside of Cork and is used by smaller ships offering the chance to visit the beautiful city of Cork as well as the south coast of Ireland.
The port of Dun Laoghaire is located close to the centre of Dublin and is a great option for smaller cruise ships to visit the incredible capital of the Republic of Ireland.
Galway is a city in the Connacht province of Ireland that is perhaps best known as a freight and ferry port, but there are a growing number of cruise ship calling into the town.
Port Dingle, or Port Dingle-Daingean Ui Chuis to give it its full title is an small port in County Kerry.
With only a population of around 2,000 people, the town is a great place to visit for those wanting to experience rural life in Ireland and whilst most of the ships are smaller, expedition style ones, some mainstream lines are now stopping there and utilising their tenders.
The port town of Foynes is located in county Limerick and it is to the city of Limerick that most visitors head for.
The port has a beautiful entry as you enter the Shannon River estuary and also offers the chance to visit Adare which is often branded as one of Ireland’s prettiest towns.
Glengarriff is a small town in County Cork that offers one of the most picturesque ports of call on any cruise around Ireland.
Surrounded by mountains, marshes and forest, the town offers a truly authentic Irish experience.
The city of Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland and is also the country’s leading cruise port and offers lots for visitors to enjoy including the impressive Titanic Quarter and lots of attractions relating to its fascinating history.
Derry/Londonderry is located in the north-west of Northern Ireland, right on the border with the Republic of Ireland and offers a great day onshore exploring the city’s historic walls and touring many places that became famous during ‘The Troubles’ whilst the entry and exit into the port down the stunning Loch Foyle is memorable part of any cruise.
Popular Cruise Lines
If you are wanting to visit the larger ports in Ireland, including Dublin, many of the world’s biggest cruise lines offer a number of cruise options throughout the main cruising season of April-October including the likes of Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), Princess Cruises, Holland America Line (HAL), Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean whilst smaller lines that offer the chance to visit a wider range of ports include Fred Olsen and Hurtigruten.
Republic of Ireland
Location: North Western Europe
Capital City: Dublin
Currency: Euro
Language: Irish, English
Demonym(s): Irish
Top Ports: Dublin, Cobh
The Republic of Ireland is home to many great towns and cities including the likes of its capital city Dublin as well as Cork, Galway, Limerick, and Waterford and thanks to the small nature of the country and the fact that it is surrounded by sea, it is the perfect destination to explore and enjoy all on offer via a cruise.
For many it is the more rural parts of the country that is the reason to visit as are the many great attractions on offer including a number of distilleries and visitor attractions focussed on the local Whiskey scene, the stunning and historic Spike Island, Kings John Castle, Kilkenny Castle, Charles Fort, and the many distinct districts of Dublin.
The closeness and similarities between Ireland and the United Kingdom make the country a great choice for inexperienced cruisers and travellers but it is the differences that makes it such a great choice for everybody.
Best Time To Visit
Although cruises to Ireland can be enjoyed almost all year around, the nature of the country means that many of its attractions and must visit destinations are outdoors, so to be able to make the most of a visit, it is best to cruise to Ireland in the summer months between May-September.
Cruises From UK
As the country closest to the United Kingdom, it will likely not be too much of a surprise that not only are there plenty of cruise itineraries that visit Ireland from these shores but there are several itineraries that solely head there to take in the majority of the great cruise ports in Ireland.
If you have wanted to visit an Irish cruise port, it is one of the easiest places to reach as not only do the main cruise port sin the UK offer trips there, but many smaller ports do as well.
Cruises From Southampton
For the widest choices of itineraries, it is the UK leading cruise port of Southampton that offers the most choice of lines, ships and itineraries heading to cruise ports in Ireland.
Here at CruiseHols.co.uk we bring you all of the information you will ever need to choose the right cruise destination for you and your family.
Our destination guides include everything from ports to attractions and excursion to the positives and negatives of the destination.
