Boost for region's tourism sector as its ship comes in

The unusual sight of the arrival of a cruise ship with 122 passengers at Drogheda Port on Monday presents the region with an unusual, but potentially very lucrative boost to local economies suffering under the kosh of the recession. From all reports, its arrival on the Boyne this week was a success. Local dignitaries from Drogheda and Meath, along with tourism officials, were brought onboard the Clipper Adventurer and extended a Céad Míle Fáilte to the visitors, mainly Canadian and North American visitors, who are circumnavigating Ireland and will be stopping off at various locations around the coast, taking in the sights and culture of Ireland along the way. Anyone who has ever taken a holiday on a cruise ship will understand the extent to which the cruise companies will go to pamper their passengers. This really is a holiday with a difference and one which lasts in the memory for a very long time. On board guests are treated like royalty, are made feel very special by enthusiastic crews ready to serve every possible need. I had the pleasure a few years ago of having my first, and so far, only cruise. We were in the Mediterranean aboard a luxury liner and it is an absolute certainty that floating along at a slow place from port to port helps to slow down the pace of life. The passenger lives for a week or 10 days in a pleasure bubble, untroubled by the vicissitudes of life, served in every need by a hard-working and enthusiastic crew. The ship captains of these floating hotels are usually larger than life figures who pride themselves on flying the flag of their particular fleet and who insist on only the best of comfort for their passengers (apart from one Captain Francesco Schettino, of course, whose 'sail by' for his friends on an island off the Italian coast earlier this year resulted in his vessel, the Costa Concordia, sinking). Cruising is big business and a great deal of money is spent promoting its luxuries. Take this blurb from one cruise company: "We are passionate about travel. We believe that travelling for pleasure has a redemptive power that enriches people's lives. And we believe that people should travel well." It said that cruising on one of their ships is "unlike any other form of travel. The experience is luxurious, yet relaxed - elegant, yet casual - sumptuous, yet understated." The move by the Drogheda Port Company to invite the Adventure Canada company to bring its cruise ship up the Boyne to berth at Tom Roe's Point (a deep water terminal normally used by cargo vessels) was certainly a novel one and has taken people by surprise. The trip was organised by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and the passengers are taking in the history, archaeology, bird and marine life, culture and music of the country with a top-class lecture and resource team on board the vessel. While some of the passengers went to visit the Highlanes Art Gallery in Drogheda, others chose to venture into Meath to see the world-famous Newgrange passage tomb. Councillor John Farrelly, chairman of Meath Tourism, put his finger on it when he said that while these were the first tentative steps in cruise ship visitation, there was big potential for the future in similar visits. He avoided the parochial in welcoming the 122 passengers to the region. "This can only be good for the whole of Meath and Louth and for the north-east region. "We know that passengers from cruise ships have a limited time ashore - usually about six hours - but it is up to the tourist interests here to make the best of it by making the experience a memorable one for the visitor. "It's important that cruise ship passengers go away with a good impression of the country and the region. Word of mouth is very important here and we hope they will spread the word when they go back home. We congratulate the Drogheda Port Company on their initiative and hope we will see more visits of this kind." And so say all of us.