The Port of Dover has closed out its 2024 cruise season and although it hasn’t released final numbers, it looks to be one of the English port’s busiest.
After a final call by AIDA Cruises’ AIDAluna on November 7, 2024 – the same vessel that kicked off the season on April 3, 2024 – the predominantly ferry-focused port announced it is becoming a major player in UK’s cruise tourism, servicing over 20 cruise lines this year.
AIDA Cruises was the port’s biggest supporter, making six port calls to Dover with three ships carrying up to 2,050 passengers on each visit.
These included the AIDAdiva, AIDAbella, and AIDAluna, the latter of which recently set sail for Spain before heading to the Caribbean for the winter.
The port’s season featured several milestones, including inaugural visits by Viking Ocean’s Viking Saturn, Seabourn’s Seabourn Venture, Crystal Cruises’ Crystal Symphony, TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 4, Fred Olsen Cruise Lines’ Borealis, and the French cruise liner Renaissance.
These calls brought in thousands of visitors eager to visit the area known for its stunning White Cliffs and its proximity to historic attractions like Dover Castle and Canterbury Cathedral.
On two separate occasions, the port hosted three ships simultaneously, with its western dock berth providing direct access for guests to Dover’s marina and nearby waterfront attractions.
“It’s been a brilliant season, which has seen us welcome a diverse range of cruise ships of all sizes, multiple berths in use, wonderful inaugural call celebrations, and our long-standing customers returning for large sets of calls,” said Peter Wright, head of cruise at the Port of Dover.
Wright continued by expressing excitement for 2025 and thanking “our brilliant team here for working so hard to provide our guests with an exceptional welcome, and to our cruise lines for choosing Dover.”
Looking Ahead
Dover is already preparing for an even stronger 2025 cruise season, highlighted by Holland America Line’s 99,863-gross-ton Nieuw Statendam, accommodating over 2,660 guests, homeporting at the port beginning April 19.
The ship, which is scheduled to stay in Dover through October 16, 2026, will offer a variety of itineraries, beginning with a Canary and British Islands cruise, as well as voyages across Northern European ports.
Fred Olsen, which first arrived in August 2024 with the 1,400-passenger Borealis, will resume homeport operations earlier in 2025. The vessel will begin a season on May 28 with a mixture of Scandinavian and Mediterranean journeys.
Carnival Cruise Line will also position a ship from Dover, bringing its 2,124-passenger Carnival Miracle to port beginning May 18, 2025. Its itineraries to parts of Scandinavia and Spain will continue through August 10, 2025, and will resume in the summer of 2026.
Viking Oceans is already set to return to Dover, as well, with multiple ships carrying over 900 passengers scheduled to visit.
Viking Vela will be the first ship of the 2025 season to call at the port when it arrives on March 25, 2025, during a 14-night British Isles voyage.
It will return to port throughout the season, joined by Viking Jupiter and Viking Saturn, both of which first arrive in June.
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Furthermore, Viking Sky will call on the port during its 179-night World Cruise. Dover will serve as the extended voyage’s last port of call on May 4, 2025, before it concludes in London.
The vessel will then embark on a series of British Isles voyages, returning to Dover on numerous occasions.
Saga Cruises’ Spirit of Adventure, arriving May 9, 2025, and Seabourn’s Seabourn Sojourn, setting off on May 31, 2025, will also make Dover a homeport in 2025 with continuous offerings around the British Isles and Scandinavia.
