2012's bumper crop of cruise ships for Dover's cruise port

With 156 cruise calls, the 2012 cruise season is going to be another successful year for Dover Cruise Port. More than 250,000 passengers will experience the high quality facilities and services available at the cruise terminals and the wonderful attractions on offer.

Ships from prominent cruise organisations including Fred Olsen, Saga, Holland America, Ibercruceros and Pullmantur will all return to Dover Cruise Port as well as the extremely popular AIDA with inaugural visits by AIDAluna and AIDAmar.

Other inaugural calls include Oceania's Nautica, All Leisure Group's Discovery, Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas and the Costa Fortuna. Saga's regular visiting vessels, Pearl II and Ruby will be joined by new ship, Sapphire for the first time in May 2012.

Highlights during the season also include Azamara Journey, making its Dover debut early next summer and the return of MSC's Lirica and Poesia to the Port on four occasions during the season operating four-night mini cruise itineraries to and from Amsterdam and Hamburg. Hapag Lloyd's Europa and Windstar's Windsurf will make port calls, enabling passengers to experience the delights that Kent has to offer as part of their Northern European itineraries.

Kate O'Hara, Head of Commercial & Marketing at the Port of Dover said: "First-class levels of service, excellent facilities and a wealth of shore excursion opportunities, coupled with a high speed rail service to the centre of London, have contributed significantly to the continuous growth we are enjoying. Our repeat customers already know that there's no better way to start a European cruise than sailing into the sunset against a back-drop of the White Cliffs."