Dover Cruise Port welcomed inaugural visits from Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas and the Azamara Club cruise ships on May 11 and 12 respectively.

The Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas, accommodating 2,500 passengers with all cabins allocated, arrived in Dover on its penultimate disembarkation call at Amsterdam the following day.  All tours for this cruise took place in Kent and Sussex.  Kate O’Hara, Head of Business Delivery at Dover Harbour Board, presented the Captain Henrik Sorensen with an inaugural plaque.

The following day saw the arrival of the Azamara Club, a 5-Star brand of Celebrity Cruises and part of the Royal Caribbean International group. 

The ships in this group are smaller than many other cruise ships, measuring 180m in length offering room for just 710 passengers, and 390 crew. Their size gives them the advantage of being able to visit smaller harbours, giving experienced cruise guests an alternative cruise experience.  Arriving on the seventh day of an 11 day cruise, the voyage, which started in France included visits to the UK, Eire, Isles of Scilly, Channel Islands, Belgium and Holland.  Clare Newman, Manager of Business Delivery at the Port of Dover presented Captain Jason Ikiadis with a plaque to commemorate the inaugural call.

Clare Newman, Manager of Business Delivery, said: “we were delighted to welcome both ships on their inaugural visits to Dover.  We have worked hard to develop the relationship with Royal Caribbean and are pleased with the increased number of calls that we have welcomed year on year.”