Dover will handle 152 cruise ship visits to the port this year, with more than 200,000 passengers. This compares with 144 calls last year and 124 in 2004 when the port handled 178,000 passengers.

Eight ships are making inaugural calls in Dover this year and the port is hosting the 2009 UK Cruise Convention on June 17-19.

2009 inaugural calls in to the Port of Dover:

May 2 - (Princess) Tahitian Princess

May 11 - (Classic International Cruises) Princess Daphne

May 11 - (Princess) Emerald Princess

May 26 - (AIDA) AIDA Cara

May 18 - (MSC) MSC Orchestra

Jul 6 - (HAL) Eurodam

Jul 16 - (Saga) Spirit of Adventure

Sep 10 - (Costa) Costa Luminosa

Head of marketing Kate O’Hara said: “The demographic spread of cruise travellers – many of whom are not affected by mortgage interest rates or job insecurity – is a major growth factor. “The cruise industry has broadened dramatically over recent years, and has become increasingly popular among families. “The inclusive nature of on-board holidays means that accommodation, food, travel and entertainment are all embraced in the price – a major plus for anyone wanting to stick to a fixed budget.”