Secluded Vacation

A Holyhead cruise visit is becoming ever more popular with major cruise lines which offer cruising holidays around the waters of the UK and Ireland. Holyhead on Anglesey is a major UK passenger ferry port to Ireland and has excellent port facilities for large cruise ships looking to offer their passengers exciting and interesting places to visit.

On arrival at Holyhead, cruise ships have normally anchored in the sheltered anchorage facilities north east of Holyhead Breakwater, the longest in Britain and a famous attraction, and the Anglesey Aluminium jetty. A harbour tug can be made available if required from the local boatyard.

With cruise ships over 250 metres in length this sheltered anchorage benefits from the natural protection of the town and coastline which reduce the effect of the prevailing south westerly winds. A facility is available for cruise passengers to land on the east side of the inner harbour near the Fish Dock. From special coaches are on hand to take visitors to the varied island and nearby mainland attractions.

If you sailed up north from Milford Haven or Swansea in South West Wales, chances are you may have glimpsed some amazingly beautiful Cambrian coastal settings. Approaching Anglesey island you may have caught eye of some fine sandy beaches stretching from the south near Llanddwyn, where shots from Demi Moore’s Half Light movie were taken, to Trearddur Bay in the west. And don’t forget world renown South Stack Lighthouse, well worth a visit after arrival in Holyhead.

Holyhead ferries sail to Dun Laoghaire and the Irish capital Dublin. Recently, Holyhead has hosted a growing number of larger cruise ships from Northern European. You can now see cruise lines such as Hapag Lloyd, Oceana Cruises, Noble Caledonia and Holland America making a call at the port, keen to allow their passengers experience the the varied historical and cultural attractions on Anglesey. Indeed, the 48,000 tonne Seven Seas Voyager, carrying 750 passengers, has already visited Holyhead.

Mindful of the growing interest in visiting the island, there are plans to use the Anglesey Aluminium jetty as a new berthing location, making disembarkation easier. This strategic decision will attract larger cruise ships which might otherwise use larger port facilities at Dublin and Liverpool. The aim is to regularly accommodate vessels of around 85,000 tonnes, and estimates are that an investment of about 7 million to port facilities is required, with 0.5 million earmarked for the jetty berthing facility.

With as many as 70 cruise ships operating in Northern European waters, a Holyhead cruise destination will be an attractive option for cruise ship passengers following this extra investment in port infrastructure. The “Celtic Wave” marketing initiative led by Anglesey, joins together the main Irish Sea ports of Holyhead, Dublin, Waterford, Cork and Swansea and Milford Haven. It is underpinned by a 1.2 million investment and its objective is to attract bigger cruise ships and more visitors to these ports.

Among the many other interesting attractions you could visit are the historic castles of Wales at Beaumaris and Caernarfon, both UN World Heritage sites. There again you may prefer seeing the last working mill in Wales at Llynnon, Llanddeusant, appreciate the fine Rex Whistler paintings at Plas Newydd or stretch your legs on the Anglesey coastal path. All these factors will attract more cruise liners to choose this Holyhead cruise destination in the months and years ahead.