By
Alex Smith |
Foyle Port has wrapped up its 2025 cruise season, welcoming 19 cruise ship calls – a 46 per cent increase on the previous year.
This year’s cruise calendar featured ships from 11 different cruise lines, including world-leading luxury operators Regent Seven Seas, Azamara, Silversea, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and Phoenix Reisen, alongside renowned expedition lines such as Mystic Cruises, AE Expeditions, Exploris Expeditions and Noble Caledonia.
The season included five inaugural calls and a first-ever visit from luxury line Windstar Cruises, whose ship Star Legend made its debut at the port.
In total, the 2025 season brought 6,930 passengers and crew to the region. Of the 3,940 passengers, nearly half were from the United States (48 per cent), followed by Germany (20 per cent), the United Kingdom (13 per cent), France (5 per cent) and Canada (4 per cent).
Depending on ship size and tidal conditions, vessels were welcomed either at the tender port in Greencastle or the commercial port at Lisahally.
“We are delighted with how the season has gone this year. The increase in calls and the range of visitors highlight Foyle Port’s growing reputation as a key gateway for cruise tourism in the North West,” said Bill McCann, harbour master and operations director at Foyle Port. We look forward to building on this success and continuing to showcase our region’s unique location as the gateway to the historic city of Derry-Londonderry and two of the world’s most iconic coastal routes, the Wild Atlantic Way and the Causeway Coast.”
The port also hosted a familiarisation trip in September for 12 cruise line representatives from the USA and Europe. The visit included tours of the commercial port at Lisahally and the tender port at Greencastle, along with a tailored itinerary designed to showcase the destination and the range of tourism products available to visiting cruise guests. The trip formed part of a wider tour of Ireland hosted by Cruise Ireland in partnership with Excursions Ireland.
“Working with Foyle Port and the wider North West region has been an absolute pleasure and this past season was no different,” said Niamh McCarthy, managing director of Excursions Ireland. This progressive, forward-thinking port is not only strategically located on the stunning North West coast, but also acts as a gateway to a region steeped in incredible history, culture, and natural beauty.”