Foyle Port Opens Record 2026 Cruise Season With Ponant Call
Foyle’s record season points to rising cruise interest in Ireland’s northwest, where expedition and luxury lines are helping smaller ports compete for distinctive coastal itineraries.
Foyle Port opened its 2026 cruise season on April 16 with Ponant’s Le Lapérouse at Greencastle, giving the Marseille-based line its first call at the port and setting the earliest cruise arrival yet for the region. The port expects the season to run to a final call on September 19, making it the longest on record, with almost 16,000 passengers forecast.
The 2026 schedule is also expected to produce Foyle’s highest cruise-call volume, though the port did not publish a total call count with the announcement. Recent cruise activity at Foyle has reached 19 calls in a season, and this year’s program includes eight inaugural calls and an 87 percent return rate by cruise lines choosing to call again.
“The arrival of a prestigious luxury expedition cruise line of this calibre is a strong endorsement of the region’s offering,” Captain Bill McCann, harbour master and operations director at Foyle Port, said, calling it evidence of the region’s “growing reputation on the global cruise stage.”
Opening call used Greencastle anchorage
Le Lapérouse, an expedition vessel, was sailing Ponant’s 10-day Celtic Secrets & Landscapes itinerary from Greenock to Cobh, with calls across Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The ship anchored at Greencastle, a tender anchorage where guests are carried ashore to Greencastle Pier.
Foyle’s cruise facilities are split mainly between Greencastle and Lisahally, depending on ship size and tidal conditions. Lisahally serves as the main passenger terminal for larger cruise ships and can accommodate vessels up to about 195 meters in length and 62,000 GT, while Greencastle can handle ships at anchorage up to about 325 meters.
A traditional plaque exchange was held onboard between Le Lapérouse Captain Adrien Eyssautier and representatives from Foyle Port, Fáilte Ireland, Donegal County Council, Go Visit Inishowen and Hamilton Shipping Services.
Expedition calls concentrated early in the season
Expedition vessels are scheduled to account for 36 percent of Foyle’s cruise calls in 2026, with most of those visits planned for April and May.
Le Lapérouse is due back on May 3. The next inaugural visit listed by the port is Aurora Expeditions’ Douglas Mawson on May 16.
