Dublin Port expects to welcome more than 80 cruise ships, carrying more than 140,000 visitors to the city, over the summer cruise season which begins this week

Next Monday, Dublin will welcome the largest ship ever to dock at the port with the arrival of the 333m long MSC Splendida, the 11th longest cruise ship in the world.

Carrying 1,370 crew and 3,247 passengers primarily from mainland Europe, the MSC Splendida boasts a VIP section with 24 hour butler service and features more than a dozen bars and lounges, spa and Turkish baths, four swimming pools, squash courts and a Formula 1 simulator, all spread over 18 decks.

Ships longer than 300m currently can’t turn in Dublin Port the MSC Splendida will have to reverse out to sea.

Dublin Port Company’s Alexandra Basin Redevelopment Project will extend the length of the dock and enable the world’s largest cruise ships to routinely call to Dublin Port. The redevelopment will take five years to complete, and is due to cost more than €200m. Dublin Port hopes that work will begin later in 2015.

Three kilometres of the port’s total of seven kilometres of berths and quay walls will be lengthened and deepened and the port’s channel will be deepened by 2.2 metres over a distance of 10 kilometres; five from the East Link Bridge to the Poolbeg Lighthouse and another five kilometres from there out into Dublin Bay.

Commenting on this year’s cruise season, and on the arrival of the MSC Splendida, Eamonn O’Reilly, Chief Executive, Dublin Port Company, said: "So great is the attraction for cruise passengers to disembark in the heart of Dublin City, we were asked by the major cruise lines to see if we could accommodate their largest ships and we are delighted to be able to."

He continues: "Bringing ships larger than we routinely handle demonstrates the strong demand in the market for enhanced infrastructure in Dublin Port and also gives us an opportunity to showcase to the people of Dublin what they can expect to see in future years as we develop the port."