Given that we shot all 57 cruise liners that called to Cork Harbour during the 2015 season, shooting another in the 2016 season was really not on the agenda but that’s what happened on Sunday last 15/5/16.

With the recent and rare fine weather, sunsets are the order of the day at the moment and with low water at around sunset, we headed for the lower harbour and decided on the elevated site near Fort Davis in Whitegate, East Cork.

The sunset, while nice, wasn’t brilliant but off in the distance, berthed at Cobh Cruise Terminal, lay the 333m long MSC Splendida which was due to depart about an hour after sunset. Having been on board this beautiful ship nearly twelve months ago, ECCG has a particular fondness for her so we decided to wait and see her off.

In the distance we could see it had silently slipped from the berth and was moving past Cobh. Slowly, with the Cork Pilot Launch at her heel, Splendida came around the Spit Bank Light, past the Whitegate Oil Refinery jetty and was a beautiful sight, all lit up in the blue hour, as it almost silently passed between Forts Davis and Camden towards Roches Point enroute to Southampton.

With a capacity for 4,363 passengers and 1,370 crew, Splendida is, effectively, a floating small town and this sight will be repeated many times over this season as upwards of 60 liners are due to visit Cork harbour this year. Check out the Port of Cork Cruise Liner schedule for dates and times.

Click here to see a small gallery of images from the shoot at Fort Davis. Enjoy!